Hamas crossed the remains of four Israeli hostages early Thursday, according to the Israeli army, and Israel began to release Palestinian prisoners, in the last such exchange during the initial phase of fragile truck.
Hamas’s military wing on Wednesday afternoon called Four Israelites Like Ohad Yahalomi, Itzhak Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour and Tsachi Idan. They ranged at the age of 85 to 49 when they were abducted, and their remains were supposed to be replaced for a group of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Unlike previous handover, this time, Hamas made a transfer without styled representations, which Israel condemned as “degrading ceremonies”.
About the same time on Thursday, a white bus and two cars carrying the emblem of the Red Cross International Committee were displayed live on Palestinian television leaving the Prison of Ofer in the Israeli West Coast in the city of Ramallah on the same territory. Tens of prisoners stepped from the bus. Hundreds were expected to be more released after Israel found that the bodies were committed.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that the coffins were handed over to the Israeli army, and Egypt had mediated. “The preliminary identification procedure has now started on Israeli soil,” his office said in a statement. “The hostage families are continuously updated and will receive an official notice after the complete identification process has been completed.”
Since Hamas mistakenly identified the female hostage in the previous handover, the Israeli health authorities said that forensic experts would try to identify the remains immediately. Once they have confirmed the identity, the Israeli army is expected to release additional prisoners.
The last exchange comes because the first phase of the tribute, which began in January, is closer to the end after 42 days. It was unclear whether serious negotiations on the second phase of the agreement began. Israel and Hamas were supposed to start conversations until the 16th day of the tribute. But there are few signs of progress despite the pressure from us, Qatar and Egyptian mediators, who hoped that any truce would expand into a comprehensive resolution of conflict.
During the first phase, Hamas was supposed to free 25 Israeli hostages and hand over the bodies of eight others in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians in Israel prison. On Saturday, armed Palestinian group posted the last living prisoners for this stage. The four deceased hostages were also returned last week.
But Israel delayed the edition Of the 620 Palestinian prisoners as part of that exchange until Hamas committed to stop the instilled views before the Gazanci pile during the manual. Armed and masked members of Hamas released hostages in highly choreographed representations of force and powers in which some hostages were made to thank their former kidnappers.
The delay raised questions about how long the truce will.
Late on Tuesday, Hamas announced that a contract had been reached for the simultaneous release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remains of four Israelites. They were among the 250 people who took hostage during October 2023, an attack guided by a hamas on Israel, who died about 1,200 others and lit a war in Gaza.
In response, Israel launched its devastating military campaign against Hamas, in which more than 48,000 people were killed in Gaza, according to local health officers, whose number does not distinguish fighters and civilians.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office said the mediators guaranteed that Hamas would hand over the coffins without other release ceremony.
Some of the Palestinian prisoners listed for releasing the release were convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Others – including minors – were arrested without formal charges after being swallowed through the Israeli forces through gauze during the invasion of Earth.
Prisoners’ relatives began to gather on Wednesday on the west coast of Ramallah. Some waited in vain for hours last weekend in the occupied territory, when Israel announced that he was maintaining some of the scheduled editions of the prisoners.
“We hope to see our brother tonight,” said Suleiman Mardawi, 40, whose brother Mohammad Mardawi – a member of the militant group of Palestinian Islamic Jihad – closed in 1999 because of the attack on the Israelites on the West Coast, said Brother. “But we’re ready for anything,” he added, admitting the possibility of another delay at the last minute.
Early on Thursday morning, Salsabeel Hajj Ahmad, 22, met his uncle Mohammad Mardawi, for the first time in his life – he was closed before being born. “I recognized him right away,” she said, but noted that her uncle was in poor condition.
“Every time someone hugged him, he asked them to be gentle because it hurt,” she said. “Still, he continued to smile.”
The exchange on Thursday may be the last in the first phase of a frightened fire. About 25 hostages and remains of more than 30 others are still in Gaza, according to the Israeli government.
In the midst of the uncertainty of the future of the trial of a trial, Steve Witkoff, an envoy of President Trump in the Middle East, was expected in The region on Wednesday in an attempt to move the conversations forward. But the journey of Mr. Witkoff was postponed, according to an American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the schedule of the envoy.
Both Israel and Hamas have reason to avoid continuing the war. Hamas wants to give his forces the opportunity to recover and renew, while Israel would like to bring home the remaining hostage in Gaza.
But the war could still be accelerated again.
The Israeli army has already made extensive preparations for a new and intense campaign in Gaza, According to three defense officials who spoke about the state of anonymity to speak more freely. On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that it had increased “operating readiness in the area around Gaza’s belt.”
The first phase of a severe fire was glued to repeated quotes on both sides.
Israel repeatedly shot Palestinians in Gaza, saying that it was a violation of the truce approaching forbidden areas, killing some and wounding others, according to local health officers. The Israeli army also said that it hit the areas where the rockets were launched in Gaza; None of these missiles crossed the border to Israeli territory.
And a few days before the prisoner’s release, Hamas’s initial Failure to return the body shiri bibas As promised to cause anger in Israel. Hamas militants handed over what was said to be her body with the remains of her children on a television ceremony.
Israeli forensic analysts found that the remains did not belong to it. Hamas later acknowledged the possibility of an error and handed the correct remains Late on Friday night.
Mrs. Bibas and her children were buried on Wednesday in Israel. Some bereaved orange carried the orange in memory of children, which were red -haired.
Fatima Abdulkarim contributed to reporting from Ramallah on the west coast.
