Hamas hands over bodies of four hostages, Israel frees Palestinian prisoners

Hamas hands over bodies of Israeli hostages to Red Cross, awaiting release of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages while it waited for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in return, the last such exchange agreed as part of a fragile truce in Gaza.

The ceasefire came into effect on January 19 and has largely held, despite numerous setbacks. But its first phase is due to end this week and the fate of its next phase, which aims to end the war, remains unclear. Hamas said that it has not received any proposals so far.

After days of impasse, Egyptian mediators secured the handover of the final four hostage bodies in the deal’s first phase, for 620 Palestinians either detained by Israeli forces in Gaza or jailed in Israel.

Hamas handed over four bodies to the Red Cross, an Israeli security source told Reuters. Hamas had previously identified the bodies as those of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlomo Mantzur, all of whom were abducted during the October 7, 2023 attack from their kibbutz homes near Gaza, to the Red Cross.

The handover did not include a Hamas ceremony.

The staged ceremonies in which living hostages and coffins carrying hostage remains were displayed on stage before a crowd in Gaza drew strong criticism, including from the United Nations.

Israel had refused to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday after Hamas handed over six hostages in such a ceremony.