Hamas Hands Bodies of 4 Hostages Back to Israel

Hamas announced on Thursday that they had handed over the bodies of four Israelis who were abducted during the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Among the victims were a woman and her two young children. This exchange was made in return for Palestinian prisoners.

A large crowd gathered near the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis to witness the orchestrated handover by Hamas. Gunmen carrying rifles were stationed around a stage where four black coffins, each with the image of a deceased hostage, were placed.

Officials from the International Committee for the Red Cross placed the coffins into waiting white vehicles. The Israeli government later confirmed that the Red Cross had delivered them to Israeli forces inside Gaza.

Meanwhile, in Israel, onlookers watched the scene with horror and sadness.

The four deceased hostages were identified as Shiri Bibas, 32, her children Ariel, 4, and Kfir, nine months old, and Oded Lifshitz, 84. The bodies will undergo forensic testing in Israel for confirmation of their identities.

All four individuals were abducted during the October 7 attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages, according to Israel. The abduction of Ms. Bibas and her children symbolized the brutality of the assault for many Israelis.

Israel responded with a relentless campaign against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and significant destruction in the enclave.

The cause of death for the four hostages remains unclear, although Hamas claims they were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israeli officials have not confirmed the exact circumstances of their deaths.

In late January, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire for at least six weeks. Hamas agreed to release 25 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Since then, emotional reunions have taken place as hostages return to their families after a harrowing experience in Hamas’s underground tunnels, while released Palestinian prisoners reunite with their loved ones outside of prison for the first time in years.

Hamas has utilized the release of hostages to showcase their power in Gaza, organizing elaborate ceremonies with armed gunmen and sometimes requiring freed hostages to speak from makeshift stages.

Reporting contributed by Rawan Sheikh Ahmad from Haifa, Israel.