Hostages in Gaza: the Franco-Israeli Ofer Kalderon must be released this Saturday

He is one of the last two French people still retained in Gaza. OFER KALDERON, 54, is to be released this Saturday, February 1, as part of the truce in force between Israel and Hamas and thanks to which 15 hostages found freedom, the Israeli authorities announced.

This Franco-Israeli had been removed during terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023 with its two children, Erez and Sahar, aged 12 and 16, at their home located in Kibbutz Nir Oz. If the two minors had been released thanks to the first truce in November 2023, their father was still in captivity. Only one certainty has been hosting the Kalderon family since then, the one that OFER had not been killed on attack day, seen by his daughter in detention.

“An immense joy mixed with paralyzing anxiety”

For months, his ex-wife Hadas Kalderon has been fighting so that his children “do not grow without their father”. With the Parisian, she had entrusted her prudence towards the truce: “When I learned for the agreement, I did not believe it. Even if it is not good, you have to take it, otherwise we take the risk of recovering still fewer people, ”she insisted on January 16.

In a press release, the Kalderon family – Hadas and the Gaya, Rotem, Sahar and Erez children confirms having received the news. “It is an immense joy mixed with paralyzing anxiety. We look forward to being able to finally find OFER. As long as he is not in our arms, we will dare not believe it. In these moments full of hope, our thoughts go to all the hostages still retained in captivity, ”insist the mother and her four children.

Two other men released at the same time

A diplomatic source confirms to the Parisian that the liberation of Ofer Kalderon was to take place this Saturday, after 484 days of detention in the hands of Hamas. By his side, two men must also be given to the Red Cross at the same time: Keith Siegel, 65, and Yarden Bibas, 35 years old.

In a press release, the hostage-forum forum “is delighted with the news of the expected liberation of Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon after 484 days of captivity in the jails of Hamas” .yifat Kalderon, a cousin of Franco- Israeli, shared his joy with Israeli television Kan: “I will breathe again when I see OFER in my eyes hugging his children in his arms”, still prudent.

Ohad Yahalomi, last Franco-Israeli hostage

The announced liberation of Ofer Kalderon would mean that only a Franco-Israeli hostage would remain in the hands of Hamas, namely Ohad Yahalomi. This 50 -year -old man was also kidnapped at Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, alongside his son Eitan, 12. Like Kalderon children, the young boy had been released thanks to the truce negotiated in November 2023, after fifty days in captivity.

Deeply marked, he slowly rebuilt himself with Bat-Sheva, his mother, and hopes for the return of his father, who was injured in the leg during the attacks.