By admin 
Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages early Thursday, as Israeli authorities confirmed their receipt. Shortly after, a group of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in the occupied West Bank to jubilant celebrations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the remains of “four fallen hostages” had been received, and a formal identification process was underway in Israel.
In Ramallah, over 600 Palestinian prisoners, whose release had been delayed, were finally freed. AFP journalists witnessed the first group disembark from a bus to a cheering crowd. Their release had been postponed due to Israeli objections to Hamas’s ceremonial handovers of hostages, both dead and alive, captured in the October 7, 2023, attack.
This dispute had threatened the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on January 19.
Among the freed prisoners, some were lifted onto shoulders as they spoke to the crowd, while women wept as they reunited with loved ones. A child, raised above the gathering, flashed peace signs with both hands.
Hamas stated that the return of the four Israeli bodies was conducted privately “to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction.” Israeli media identified the hostages as Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, and Shlomo Mansour.
Next Phase of Ceasefire Talks
The ongoing ceasefire has largely paused the conflict sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel, leading to the release of 25 hostages in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. However, sporadic violence continues.
The Israeli military reported conducting airstrikes on launch sites in Gaza after a projectile was fired from the territory on Wednesday, though it fell short inside Palestinian-controlled areas.
In Washington, a senior U.S. official confirmed that Israeli representatives were traveling for negotiations on the next phase of the ceasefire. “We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Steve Witkoff stated, indicating that discussions would take place in either Doha or Cairo with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
The current phase of the ceasefire deal is set to conclude on Saturday, but planned talks for the next stage, originally scheduled for early February, have yet to begin.
Nation Mourns Hostage Deaths
On Wednesday, thousands in Israel gathered for the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who were killed in captivity in Gaza. Their deaths had become symbolic of the ongoing hostage crisis.
The Israeli parliament observed a minute of silence to honor them and other victims of Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas is happening. We remember all the victims of October 7. We remember, and we will not forget,” said parliamentary speaker Amir Ohana.
Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas following the attack, which was the deadliest in the country’s history. Bringing back all hostages remains a central war objective.
The October 7 assault left more than 1,215 people dead, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official data. In response, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 48,348 deaths, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, figures considered credible by the United Nations.
At the Bibas family funeral, Yarden Bibas, who was abducted separately on October 7 and later released in an earlier exchange, tearfully apologized to his late wife and children.
“Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all,” he said in his emotional eulogy.
Gill Bikram Singh