Israel Gaza ceasefire: Hamas frees two Israeli hostages in Gaza as third release expected shortly

Image source, Family handout

As we’ve been reporting, Yarden Bibas, 34, is one of the two male Israeli hostages who has been released in Khan Younis this morning.

Yarden’s wife Shiri, 33, and two sons, Kfir, 10 months, and Ariel, four – at the time of their capture – were also abducted from their home in the Nir Oz kibbutz. Kfir was the youngest hostage to be taken.

Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Shiri and the two boys had been killed in an Israeli air strike, but the Israeli military has not confirmed their deaths.

The Bibas family were on a list of 34 names that Hamas had said it was willing to release ahead of the ceasefire agreement earlier in January.