Yarden Bibas Returns Home After 15 Months in Hamas Captivity
Yarden Bibas, a father of two, has returned to Israel after being held captive by Hamas for 15 long months. His release was a bittersweet moment, as his wife and two young children, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, remain in Gaza, and their fate remains unknown.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed “grave concerns” about the wellbeing of Bibas’ family, who were kidnapped along with him in October 2023. Bibas was freed on Saturday as part of a fourth round of hostage releases under Israel and Hamas’ ongoing ceasefire deal.
The IDF and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Bibas’ return, while emphasizing that the nation’s thoughts are with Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, as well as all the remaining abductees. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also commented, calling the situation “heartbreaking.”
Bibas was one of three hostages released on Saturday, along with American-Israeli Keith Siegel and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon. The releases are part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, and Hamas has promised to release Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel in a future phase.
However, with 79 hostages still in captivity, including 35 who have been declared dead and whose bodies remain in the hands of Hamas, the battle to free them continues.