Hamas has announced plans to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages shortly, in exchange for Israel’s commitment to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This development comes as Israel has postponed the previously agreed prisoner release, leading to concerns that the current six-week ceasefire in Gaza, set to expire this weekend, could be jeopardised.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Hamas will indeed release the four hostages’ bodies, with the Prisoners Club—a representative group for Palestinian detainees—indicating that Israel is expected to reciprocate by freeing over 600 prisoners. The release is intended to occur without the fanfare typically associated with such events. Netanyahu’s office stated that this transfer would be conducted quietly, contrasting with previous exchanges where bodies and captives were handed over in orchestrated ceremonies involving the Red Cross.
The delays by Israel in permitting the prisoner release were reportedly motivated by a backlash against Hamas’s public ceremonies, which Israeli officials deemed inappropriate given the sensitive nature of hostage situations. Despite these tensions, Hamas’s military faction has reiterated its commitment to hand over the hostages’ remains, as confirmed by Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades.
The case of the Bibas family has been particularly poignant in Israel’s collective mourning. On Wednesday, thousands observed a procession for Shiri Bibas and her two sons—Kfir and Ariel—who were tragically killed while in captivity. A widely circulated video capturing Shiri’s fear as she was taken with her children to Gaza remains vivid in the national consciousness. Israeli authorities assert that forensic evidence indicates the boys were killed by their captors in November 2023, while Hamas claims the family died due to an Israeli airstrike.
The Bibas family became a symbol for many Israelis advocating for the rapid return of hostages. After a long wait, their bodies were returned earlier this month as part of a ceasefire agreement. However, the anguish deepened when it was discovered that one of the bodies was misidentified, leading to further heartbreak. Shiri’s remains were confirmed the following day, leading to a private burial near Kibbutz Nir Oz, close to where they had lived.
Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband, was taken as a hostage but was released in a prior exchange. In a somber farewell, Shiri and her children were laid to rest in a shared grave next to Shiri’s parents, who also lost their lives in the same attack.