The fourth phase of hostage releases proceeded through two separate transfer points, with Yarden Bibas and Ofer Calderon crossing first at Khan Younis, followed by Keith Siegel at Gaza port. All three appeared walking independently despite 484 days in captivity.
The releases generated media focus on Bibas's situation, as his wife and children remain in Hamas custody. The afternoon brought first testimonies of deception tactics used by captors, who repeatedly promised imminent releases that never materialized.
By evening, attention shifted to Netanyahu's pre-Washington moves: appointing Eyal Zamir as next IDF Chief of Staff and delaying the negotiating team's trip to Qatar until after meeting Trump. Released hostage Doron Steinbrecher made her first public appearance via video, promising to join protests for those still in captivity.