Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 27th February 2025, 1:58 AM
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, 27 February 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Hamas has handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages early on Thursday, Israeli authorities confirmed, coinciding with the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the coffins of “four fallen hostages” had been received, and the process of formal identification was underway. Meanwhile, AFP journalists in the West Bank and Gaza reported witnessing the arrival of hundreds of released Palestinian prisoners, escorted by Red Cross vehicles.
Over 600 detainees were set to be freed in this latest prisoner exchange, while reports from Al Jazeera indicated that nearly 100 individuals would be deported to Egypt.
The release of prisoners had initially been scheduled for last weekend but was halted by Israel following its strong opposition to Hamas’s elaborate ceremonies marking the handover of hostages taken during the group’s 7 October 2023 attack.
This dispute had jeopardised the initial phase of a fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement, which commenced on 19 January 2025 and is set to expire on Saturday.
Hamas has insisted that Israel now has no alternative but to begin talks for a second phase of the agreement.
“We have cut off the path before the enemy’s false justifications, and it has no choice but to start negotiations for the second phase,” the group stated on Telegram.
As Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah, several were hoisted into the air in celebration, while some gave interviews from the shoulders of their friends and relatives. Emotional scenes unfolded as women broke into tears, gathering around a newly released prisoner, while a child was seen making peace signs with both hands.
Earlier, Hamas had announced that the handover of the four Israeli bodies would take place privately, aiming to prevent any “pretext for delay or obstruction” by Israeli forces.
Israeli media later identified the deceased as Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, and Shlomo Mansour.
The ceasefire, which has largely halted the war triggered by Hamas’s 7 October attack, has so far led to 25 Israeli hostages being released alive in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.
However, despite the truce, sporadic violence has continued. The Israeli military reported that it carried out airstrikes on multiple launch sites within Gaza after a projectile was fired from the territory on Wednesday. The munition, however, failed to reach Israel and fell short within Gaza itself.
In Washington, the US President Donald Trump’s top Middle East envoy confirmed that Israeli representatives were heading to negotiations for the next stage of the ceasefire.
“We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” said Steve Witkoff during an event for the American Jewish Committee. He added that talks would resume either in Doha or Cairo, involving Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
On Wednesday, thousands gathered across Israel to attend the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who were killed while in captivity in Gaza. The family had become a poignant symbol of Israel’s ongoing hostage crisis.
During a session in the Israeli parliament, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the Bibas family and all other victims of the 7 October attack.
“Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, we are saying our final goodbyes to Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas. We remember all the victims of 7 October. We remember, and we will never forget,” said Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, following what has been described as the deadliest attack in its history, resulting in over 1,215 Israeli deaths, most of them civilians, according to AFP’s tally of official Israeli figures.
In retaliation, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have killed more than 48,348 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry—figures that the United Nations considers credible.
At the Bibas family funeral, Yarden Bibas, the father who was abducted separately on 7 October and later released in a previous exchange, broke down while delivering his eulogy.
“Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to dominate international diplomatic efforts, with world leaders calling for lasting peace and humanitarian relief for the millions affected by the war in Gaza. With ceasefire negotiations set to resume in Doha or Cairo, the coming days will determine the next phase of the truce and the fate of remaining hostages.
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