Rudolph Angler After more than 15 months in captivity, the freed hostages now face a long and difficult reintegration process. Survivors of past abductions describe recovery as a mentally and physically exhausting journey.
On Sunday, the family of Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon expressed gratitude to the French government and U.S. President Donald Trump for securing his release.
“Ofer is finally home after 484 days in hell,” said Sharon Kalderon, his sister-in-law. Speaking from Sheba Medical Center, where Ofer receives medical care, she described the joy of reuniting with him.
His brother, Nissan Kalderon, acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “He, and we, have a long and difficult recovery ahead.”
Hostage Swap Brings Families Back Together
The 54-year-old Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli citizen, was released on Saturday alongside American-Israeli Keith Siegel and Argentinian-Israeli Yarden Bibas.
Hamas had abducted Kalderon from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his teenage children, Sahar and Erez, and his ex-wife, Hadas. They were freed in 2023 during a ceasefire.
As part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners. This marked the fourth round of hostage-prisoner exchanges under the deal.
Israel and Hamas Prepare for Further Ceasefire Negotiations
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement requires the release of 33 hostages and 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. It also mandates the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and expanded humanitarian aid deliveries.
Next week, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations for a second phase of the truce. This phase includes the release of all remaining hostages and possibly an indefinite extension of the ceasefire.
If no agreement is reached, the war could resume in early March.