Hamas has announced that it will return the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday, in a swap deal for the release of numerous Palestinian prisoners by Israel. This exchange comes just a few days before the scheduled end of the current ceasefire between the conflicting sides.
Israel has held off on liberating approximately 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday, as a protest against the harsh treatment they believe the hostages endured during their release by Hamas. The militant group has criticized this postponement as a “serious violation” of the agreement, asserting that discussions surrounding a subsequent phase can’t proceed unless the Palestinian detainees are freed.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou stated on Wednesday that the group is prepared to hand over the four Israeli bodies the following day.
Meanwhile, a profound moment unfolded across Israel as tens of thousands of individuals lined the highways, many clutching flags and signs with messages of “Forgive us.” This was a show of respect as the remains of a mother and her two children, who were killed in Gaza, were transported to their final resting place.
The family, comprising Shiri Bibas and her young sons Ariel, aged 4, and Kfir, just 9 months old, were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz back on October 7, 2023. Their bodies were handed over by Hamas last week as part of the tenuous ceasefire arrangement. Initially, though, Hamas mistakenly released an incorrect body instead of Shiri Bibas.
Yarden Bibas, the children’s father, was taken separately and was subsequently released amid the ceasefire agreements last month. The mother and her children are set to be interred at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Wednesday afternoon.
While Hamas claims that the three were casualties of an Israeli airstrike in November 2023, this is firmly contradicted by an Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, who asserts that Ariel and Kfir Bibas met their demise at the hands of their captors.
