Hamas hands over to Israel bodies of four hostages, two children among dead
Photo: Hamas handed over to Israel the bodies of four deceased hostages (Getty Images).
Hamas militants, as part of an agreement, handed over the bodies of four hostages to Israel. Among the deceased were two children, citing The Times of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The process of handing over the bodies began on the morning of February 20. Hamas militants started the procedure with a delay. They placed the coffins containing the remains of the deceased on a "stage," and posters with the words "Made in the USA" were displayed nearby.
Hamas claims that the hostages, along with their guards, were killed in an Israeli airstrike using American missiles.
The bodies of the hostages were already handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israeli military officials confirmed that they received the remains of the captives.
Among the deceased was Israeli citizen Shiri Bibas, who was abducted along with her two children during the October 7, 2023 invasion. One of the boys was nine months old at the time of the abduction, and the other was five years old. Another deceased was Israeli citizen Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 years old at the time of his kidnapping.
Photo: Israeli citizens killed in Hamas captivity (timesofisrael.com)
It is expected that on Saturday, February 22, Hamas will hand over six more hostages to Israel.
Israel and Hamas agreement
Over a month ago, Israel and Hamas, with the involvement of mediators, reached an agreement on the release of hostages, under which a ceasefire was established in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas is handing over hostages and the bodies of deceased hostages to Israel, and in return, Israel is releasing Palestinian prisoners.
Last Saturday, February 15, Hamas released three more Israeli hostages, and Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners.
