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Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas & Ofer Kalderon Recount Inhumane Conditions
Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas, and Ofer Kalderon. Photo: IDF Spokesperson
i24 News – Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas, and Ofer Kalderon returned to Israel on Saturday after 484 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip, describing particularly grueling detention conditions that were marked by constant movements and a severe lack of food.
Held in Gaza City, Siegel was transferred between several apartments and tunnels, systematically locked in rooms to avoid being discovered. According to Kan, Israel’s national broadcaster, he thought his son Shai had been killed until he heard his voice on the radio. Despite being a vegetarian, he was forced to eat meat due to lack of food.
Bibas and Kalderon testified to having suffered particularly intense physical and psychological violence during their first days of captivity in Khan Yunis. “They hit us and locked us in cages,” they recounted, confirming accounts of other hostages previously released. The two men were held in tunnels alongside other captives.
“Yarden learned Arabic during his captivity,” reported the Israeli public broadcaster. As for Kalderon, the terrorist kidnappers considered him a reservist, which is why he was wearing a uniform at his release. Upon arriving at the meeting point with the IDF, he asked for a beer, but the soldiers had to refuse due to his weak condition.
The three men reported having access to the media, mainly Al Jazeera, and watching demonstrations for their release alongside their captors. “These rallies gave us strength and hope to reunite with our families,” they declared.
At the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Professor Gil Fair stated that Siegel was “in a stable condition that allows him to spend time with his family, rest, and process the experiences of the past few days and the entire period. We will continue to monitor the effects of captivity and provide all necessary services.”
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
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