Hamas Transfers Bodies of Israeli Captives; Ceasefire Negotiations Continue

Hamas handed over the remains of four Israeli captives on Thursday, including a woman, her two young children, and an elderly man, who were taken during the October 2023 attack on southern Israel, Al Jazeera reports.

The handover took place in Khan Younis, where Hamas fighters transferred the remains to the Red Cross.

The bodies identified were those of Shiri Bibas, her sons Kfir (an infant) and Ariel (4 years old), and Oded Lifschitz (83). The Bibas brothers, the youngest captives taken on October 7, had become a focal point of concern for many Israelis.

Hamas has stated that the four individuals were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. A Hamas spokesman said they were alive before the “Zionist occupation aircraft deliberately bombed the locations where they were being held.” Hamas claims it “preserved the lives of the occupation prisoners”, and “treated them humanely, but their [Israel’s] army killed them along with their captors”.

The transfer occurred under the terms of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which went into effect last month. The agreement also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The return of the bodies was followed by the release of six living captives on Saturday, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas agreed to release 33 captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the first phase of an agreement intended to pave the way towards ending the war.

To date, 19 Israeli captives have been released, in addition to five Thai nationals in a separate handover.

Negotiations are expected to begin in the coming days for a second phase of the agreement. This phase is anticipated to cover the return of approximately 60 remaining captives, with less than half believed to be alive. The negotiations also aim to achieve a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and an end to the ongoing conflict.

The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a significant loss of life, with reports indicating that over 48,000 Palestinians have been killed.