20th February 2025
Hamas is set to hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel, whose abduction became a symbol of Israel’s hostage crisis. The fourth hostage is Oded Lifshitz.
This marks the first return of remains by Hamas since its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war. The handover will take place in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, as part of the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “heartbreaking day” for the nation. The Bibas family and Israeli authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of their deaths, though Hamas previously claimed they were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Under the ceasefire deal, 19 hostages have been released in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners, with further swaps expected. Talks for a second phase of the agreement, potentially leading to a permanent truce, are set to begin soon.
