Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages while it was waiting for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in return, in a night exchange marking the final exchange as part of a fragile truce in Gaza.
The ceasefire entered into force on January 19 and was largely held, despite many setbacks. But its first phase should end this week and the fate of its next phase, which aims to end the war, remains vague. Hamas said he had not received any proposal so far.
After days of deadlock, the Egyptian mediators ensured the transfer of the last four hostage bodies in the first phase of the agreement, for 620 Palestinians held by Israeli forces in Gaza or imprisoned in Israel.
Israel had refused to release prisoners on Saturday after Hamas has given six hostages during a staging ceremony.
Tensions on previous ceremonies
Hamas had displayed living hostages and coffins with hostage remains on stage in front of a crowd in Gaza before putting them back, in net critics, especially the United Nations.
The final transfer did not include such a ceremony.
Israel received coffins on the remains of the four hostages, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday on Thursday.
Hamas had previously identified the bodies like those of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlom Mantzur, which were all removed during the attack on October 7, 2023 from their Kibbutz houses near Gaza.
Organizations underwent an initial identification in Israeli territory and an official opinion would be given to the hostage families once the process is finished, the Netanyahu office said in a statement.
The transfer agreement had also been retained previously after Hamas presented the remains of an unidentified woman instead of Shiri Bibas, before delivering the correct body the next day.
A complete forensic exam to determine the cause of the death of the last four will be done later, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
According to Israeli authorities, around thirty hostages were killed in Gaza.
Prison bus leaves
Palestinian detainees who should be released include 445 men and 24 women and minors arrested in Gaza, as well as 151 prisoners serving perpetuity for fatal attacks against Israelis, according to a source from Hamas.
A bus carrying some of the released Palestinian prisoners left OFER prison in Israel in an occupied West Bank and arrived in the Palestinian city in Ramallah a few minutes later, images showed live.
The group left the bus for cheers to hundreds of hundreds gathered outside, with some of the freed men – dressed in green jackets and Keffiyehs – hoisted in the air by the crowd.
It was not immediately clear when the following detainees were released.
The first phase of the ceasefire included the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages in total for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from certain Gaza positions as well as an influx of aid.
But with the 42 -day truce that expires on Saturday, it is not clear if an agreement will be concluded for an extension which could see more of the 59 hostages remaining pass for free, or if the negotiations can start on a second stage of the agreement.
