After spending more than 15 months in captivity, the freed hostages now face a challenging reintegration process. Former hostages describe the transition back to normal life as physically and mentally demanding.

The family of Ofer Kalderon, one of the recently released Israeli hostages, expressed gratitude to the French government and former U.S. President Donald Trump for helping secure his release.

“Ofer is home after 484 days in hell. We are grateful to hold him again,” said Sharon Kalderon, his sister-in-law. Ofer is receiving medical care at Sheba Medical Center in central Israel.

Hostages Released in Exchange for Palestinian Prisoners

Ofer Kalderon, 54, a French-Israeli citizen, was freed on Saturday along with American-Israeli Keith Siegel and Argentinian-Israeli Yarden Bibas.

Hamas captured Kalderon in Kibbutz Nir Oz. His teenage children, Sahar and Erez, and his ex-wife, Hadas, were also abducted but released during the weeklong ceasefire in 2023.

In the latest prisoner exchange, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages, while Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners. This marked the fourth round of exchanges under the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Ceasefire Talks Enter Next Phase

The six-week phase one of the truce requires the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners. It also includes Palestinians returning to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid.

Next week, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire. This phase aims to secure the release of remaining hostages and extend the truce indefinitely.

If no agreement is reached, the war could resume in early March. The outcome of these talks remains uncertain, with both sides facing intense pressure.