The Hamas has transferred the mortal remains of four Israelis to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, as reported live from Khan Yunis by television. According to Tel Aviv, the identity of the deceased will now be verified.
The Hamas claims that the remains belong to Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, a young woman and her two small children, whose fate remains unclear. In November 2023, the Hamas announced that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were killed in an Israeli airstrike, although the Israeli authorities never confirmed their deaths. Kfir was nine months old and Ariel was four years old, making them the youngest hostages seized by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad during their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and taken to the Gaza Strip. The fourth deceased hostage is reportedly Oded Lifshitz.
This is the first time since the ceasefire on January 19 that the Hamas has handed over the remains of hostages. In response, Israel will release all women and minors detained since the start of the Gaza War in October 2023, who are not suspected of participating in armed combat against Israel.
The agreement with the Hamas consists of a 42-day initial phase, in which 33 Israeli prisoners will be exchanged for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. Two further 42-day phases are expected, during which the remaining Israeli prisoners will be released in exchange for a much larger, unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.
Despite this, Israel has delayed the start of the negotiations for the second phase, which was supposed to begin this month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel’s conditions for the start of the second phase include a complete disarming of the Hamas, an end to its presence in the Gaza Strip and no involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the post-conflict administration of the region.