CAIRO — In a critical exchange agreement, Hamas is set to return the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday. This development comes in return for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, marking a significant moment just days before the initial phase of a ceasefire between the conflicting parties is due to end.
Since Saturday, Israel has delayed freeing nearly 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing unacceptable treatment meted out to hostages by Hamas. The militant group has labeled this delay as a “serious violation” of the truce, insisting that talks for a subsequent phase cannot commence until Palestinians are liberated.
Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou announced on Wednesday that the bodies would be handed over the following day. In return, Israeli authorities will set free Palestinian prisoners, along with an unspecified number of women and minors detained since Hamas’s offensive against Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing conflict.
An Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, affirmed that the transfer of the four hostages’ remains was anticipated, providing no further specifics. Earlier this week, both Israel and Hamas confirmed reaching an agreement to return the bodies; however, no date was initially set.
Hamas, in past exchanges, has held elaborate public ceremonies where released hostages were paraded before large crowds. Israeli and international human rights observers have criticized these events as humiliating. This prompted Israel to delay a prior prisoner release in protest. In the upcoming exchange, no such public display will accompany the return of bodies, as disclosed by a senior Hamas official who also requested anonymity due to restrictions on media communications.
The stalemate over this exchange threatened the stability of the ceasefire, which is set to terminate this weekend, concluding its initial six-week phase. This recent deal will fulfill both parties’ commitments under the first phase of the ceasefire—where Hamas will return 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
Additionally, this agreement could pave the way for a potential visit by the U.S. President’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who aims to initiate talks on the second phase. This phase would involve the comprehensive release of all hostages detained by Hamas and negotiations to end the hostilities. Although these second-round talks were supposed to have started weeks ago, they hadn’t commenced prior to this accord.
This ceasefire, facilitated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, halted intense hostilities triggered by Hamas’s 2023 incursion into southern Israel, which claimed around 1,200 lives and resulted in approximately 250 hostages.
The Israeli military campaign has led to more than 48,000 Palestinian casualties, as documented by Palestinian health authorities. The offensive has displaced about 90% of Gaza’s residents and severely ravaged the region’s infrastructure and healthcare system. The Gaza Health Ministry, operated by Hamas, reveals that over half of the victims were women and children, although it doesn’t differentiate between civilian and militant fatalities.
In a separate development from the Gaza Strip, health officials reported an additional infant fatality from hypothermia on Wednesday—bringing the death toll to seven within two weeks. Dr. Munir al-Boursh, of Gaza’s Health Ministry, attributes this tragedy to a “severe cold wave” affecting the Palestinian enclave. With temperatures descending below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, the recent days have posed severe challenges to the residents.
