Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas have arrived at an IDF facility to meet family members
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Family of Israeli hostage Ofer Calderon react as he is released in Kfar Saba, February 01, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Released hostages Yarden Bibas and Ofer Calderon have arrived at an IDF facility near the border community of Re’im after being escorted out of the Gaza Strip by troops.
The two hostages will undergo an initial physical and mental checkup at the army site, and meet family members after 484 days in captivity.
Bibas’s wife Shiri and sons Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, who were all abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, are still held in Gaza, and Israel has said it has “grave concerns” for their fate.