Hamas has handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages from Gaza in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli authorities are conducting DNA tests to confirm the identities of the remains, believed to be those of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, Tsachi Idan, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69. All four were taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
In the early hours of Thursday, Israel began releasing the Palestinian prisoners, with many returning to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where large crowds gathered to celebrate their freedom. This marks the final exchange under the current ceasefire agreement, which is set to expire on Saturday.
The bodies were transferred discreetly at Israel’s request, unlike previous exchanges that involved public handovers. Israel had previously criticized Hamas for what it described as humiliating treatment of hostages during previous transfers, leading to delays in prisoner releases.
Among those freed, more than 400 Gazans had been detained by Israeli forces during the war, along with 50 prisoners serving life sentences.
This exchange follows a week of tense negotiations and delays. The Israeli government had initially postponed the release of Palestinian prisoners over concerns regarding the treatment of hostages. The ceasefire agreement initially included plans to move into a second phase, potentially involving the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. However, negotiations for this phase have yet to begin.
Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis gathered for the funeral of three hostages—Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir—who were killed in captivity. Their deaths, along with those of the four hostages whose bodies were returned, have intensified calls for further action to secure the release of those still held in Gaza.
The conflict, which began with the October 7 attacks, has resulted in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction, with no clear resolution in sight as ceasefire talks continue.
