Gaza deal: ICRC receives remains of four Israeli hostages

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed over the remains of four Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, as part of the first phase of a broader ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Ahead of the transfer, four black coffins were displayed at the handover site in the "Martyrs’ Cemetery" in Bani Suheila, Khan Younis. Moments later, five ICRC vehicles arrived to collect the bodies.

The hostages were identified as Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, along with Oded Lifshitz. A spokesman for the Palestinian factions reiterated that the hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes, a claim that Israel has disputed. "The cause of death will only be determined after a full forensic examination," an Israeli military official said.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel would receive the remains of the four hostages, who had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023. He also noted that six more hostages, alive, would be released on Saturday, as Hamas had previously announced. It is also expected that Israel will receive the remains of four more hostages next week.

Thursday’s exchange is part of ongoing negotiations that have so far resulted in the release of 230 Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 400 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. As part of the broader ceasefire framework, discussions are now shifting toward the next phase, which is set to begin soon and will likely include further prisoner swaps and steps toward de-escalation