Hamas says he will hand over the bodies of four hostages on Thursday, including the two youngest persons held by the Palestinian armed group.
Khalil Al -hayya’s negotiator said that the bodies that would be released will be included by the ones from the Bibas – Shiri family and her young children Kfir and Ariel, who were at the age of nine months and four when Hamas abducted them during the attack October 7, 2023.
Their father Yarden was Published by Hamas earlier this month.
Al-Hayya said that Hamas would also release six living hostages on Saturday-two more than the original release.
In exchange, Israel will release all women and those under the age of 19 arrested since last October and allow some equipment to clean the ruins in Gaza through the border with Egypt.
In a statement, Al-Hayya said that the group agreed “handing over four prisoners of the occupation of occupation on Thursday, February 20, including the bodies of the Bibas family.”
Hamas claimed in November 2023 that they had been killed in an Israeli air strike without giving evidence. The Israeli army did not confirm the report. Israeli officials only said they were serious about their lives.
The Israeli official told Reuters that the deceased hostage would undergo identification in Israel before being appointed.
Hamas also appointed two of the six Israelites who would be announced on Saturday.
They are Avera Menongista and Hisham al-Sayed, who were seized in 2014 and 2015 after they moved to Gaza themselves. The Israeli government said both then suffered from mental health problems.
In the first phase of the tribute agreement, Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages. In exchange, Israel agreed to release about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Talks for advancement to the second phase of the agreement – according to which the remaining life hostages will be released, and the war ended permanently – they should start at the beginning of this month, but have not yet started.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the conversations would start “this week”.
He said that Israel “would not accept the continued presence of Hamas or any other terrorist organization in Gaza,” but said that Israel could extend the truce if the discussions were productive.
“If we will see that there is a constructive dialogue with a possible horizon of reaching the agreement (then), we will make this time frame for longer,” Saar said.
There are currently 73 hostages in Gaza – a mixture of soldiers and civilians. This also includes numerous Thai and Nepal nationals.
Hamas took about 251 hostages when he attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people.
Israel responded to a 15-month military offensive in which 47,460 Palestinians were killed, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, and devastated the Coast enclave.
