New Delhi: In a sombre development amid the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas forces, the latter handed over the remains of four Israeli hostages who died during their captivity. This transfer marks the first return of bodies by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, igniting a devastating war in Gaza.
The handover ceremony occurred at a designated site in Khan Younis, Gaza, where hundreds of onlookers gathered behind a security fence. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) oversaw the transfer, loading four coffins into vehicles for transport to Israel.
Among the deceased were Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel. Also included was 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was taken hostage during the initial attack.
Before the handover, Hamas staged a public display of the four coffins, each adorned with a photograph of the deceased. Provocatively, the coffins were surrounded by mock missiles bearing the message “They were killed by USA bombs,” a clear message to blame the US for the deaths.
Both the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the receipt of the bodies. The transfer is part of the initial six-week phase of a ceasefire agreement reached on January 19th, following over 15 months of Israel’s intense war on Gaza that claimed the lives of over 48,000 people, including a huge number of civilians.
“The hostages’ bodies were handed over to IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) representatives in Gaza”, a military spokesperson said.
The ceasefire’s first phase has already seen the release of 19 Israeli hostages in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners through a series of prisoner swaps. However, of the 14 hostages remaining to be released under this phase, Israel states that eight have died. The initial Hamas attack on October 7th involved the capture of 251 hostages, according to AFP, with 70 remaining in Gaza before this latest handover, including 35 Israel claims are deceased.
