Hamas has handed over the last four bodies of Israeli hostages included in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, completing a key step in the agreement. The remains were transferred to the Red Cross in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
A Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners was seen departing from Israel’s Ofer Prison in the West Bank. The Israeli health ministry confirmed that forensic teams were expected to verify the identities of the hostages at the border with Gaza.
The handover marked the final stage of the ceasefire’s first phase, during which Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages—eight of them deceased—in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The family of hostage Tsachi Idan issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: “Our family has received with great sadness Hamas’s announcement that our beloved Tsachi is no longer alive and that his body will be returned to Israel during the night.” They added that they had received signs of life from him in previous months and expressed gratitude for the support from Israeli citizens, the media, and their community in Nahal Oz.
Egyptian mediators confirmed they had brokered a breakthrough to facilitate the transfer after a days-long impasse. Hamas stated that the exchange was conducted under a revised mechanism and that the European Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was preparing to receive Palestinian prisoners following their release.
The ceasefire deal, in effect since January 19, previously stalled when Hamas mistakenly handed over the remains of an unidentified woman instead of Israeli mother-of-two Shiri Bibas. The correct remains were delivered the next day.
Israel had initially refused to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners last Saturday, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire by staging what it deemed a provocative public handover of hostages in Gaza.
With the 42-day truce set to expire on Saturday, it remains uncertain whether negotiations will extend the agreement or if talks will begin on a second phase, which would involve the release of the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
