Israelis collect on the aspect of a street the place the funeral convoy carrying the coffins of slain hostages Shiri Bibas and her two youngsters, Ariel and Kfir, will move by close to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. The mom and her two youngsters had been kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and their stays had been returned from Gaza to Israel final week as a part of a ceasefire settlement with Hamas. —AP Picture/Maya Alleruzzo
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas handed over 4 useless hostages to the Crimson Cross early Thursday in alternate for Israel’s launch of a whole bunch of Palestinian prisoners, days earlier than the primary section of the ceasefire within the Gaza Strip will finish.
An Israeli safety official confirmed that Hamas handed the our bodies to the Crimson Cross. The official spoke on situation of anonymity pending a proper announcement.
At across the identical time, a Crimson Cross convoy carrying dozens of launched Palestinian prisoners left Israel’s Ofer jail. Crowds of cheering households, pals and supporters of Palestinian prisoners had been gathered in Beitunia jostling for a glimpse of the bus that was on its approach.
Israel had delayed the discharge of over 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it referred to as the merciless remedy of hostages throughout their handover by Hamas. The militant group has referred to as the delay a “severe violation” of the ceasefire and mentioned talks on a second section aren’t doable till the Palestinians are freed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace had mentioned Wednesday that the discharge of the our bodies can be carried out and not using a ceremony, versus previous Hamas releases with stage-managed occasions in entrance of crowds. Israel, together with the Crimson Cross and U.N. officers, have referred to as the ceremonies humiliating for the hostages.
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Amongst these leaving Israel early Thursday had been a whole bunch of detainees arrested from Gaza, held on suspicion of militancy after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault, with out cost for months. They embrace 445 males, 21 youngsters and one lady who had been all arrested after the Hamas assault, based on lists shared by Palestinian officers that didn’t specify their ages.
Solely round 50 Palestinians had been being launched into the occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem on this spherical. Dozens sentenced to life over lethal assaults in opposition to Israelis shall be exiled out of the Palestinian territories, taken to Egypt a minimum of briefly till different international locations settle for them.
The handover will full each side’ obligations beneath the ceasefire’s first section, throughout which Hamas returned 33 hostages, together with eight our bodies, in alternate for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The household of a hostage in Gaza mentioned it was notified he’s useless and his physique was amongst these to be returned to Israel. The household didn’t say who knowledgeable them. Notifications sometimes come from Israel’s army.
Tsachi Idan was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz. His eldest daughter, Maayan, was killed as militants shot via the door of the secure room. Hamas militants broadcast themselves on Fb holding the household hostage of their house as two youthful youngsters pleaded to allow them to go.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X about Israeli-French hostage Ohad Yahalomi, whose physique was additionally anticipated to be launched: “In these suspended hours of ache and anguish, the nation stands by their aspect.”
A fragile ceasefire in peril
The ceasefire’s six-week first section expires this weekend. US President Donald Trump’s Center East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has mentioned he needs the edges to maneuver into negotiations on the second section, throughout which all remaining hostages held by Hamas can be launched and an finish to the warfare can be negotiated.
Talks on the second section had been supposed to start the primary week of February.
The ceasefire, brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar, ended 15 months of warfare that erupted after Hamas’ 2023 assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 individuals. About 250 individuals had been taken hostage.
Israel’s army offensive has killed greater than 48,000 Palestinians, based on Palestinian well being officers, who don’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths however say over half the useless have been girls and youngsters.
The combating additionally displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants and decimated the territory’s infrastructure and well being system.
Israel buries mom, sons killed in captivity
On Wednesday, tens of hundreds of Israelis lined highways because the our bodies of a mom and her two younger sons, killed in captivity in Gaza, had been taken for burial on Wednesday.
The our bodies of Shiri Bibas and her sons, 9-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel, had been handed over earlier this month.
Israel says forensic proof reveals the kids had been killed by their captors in November 2023, whereas Hamas says the household was killed together with their guards in an Israeli airstrike.
The husband and father, Yarden Bibas, was kidnapped individually and launched alive in a special handover. His spouse and their youngsters had been buried in a personal ceremony close to Kibbutz Nir Ouncesnear Gaza, the place they had been dwelling after they had been kidnapped. They had been buried in a joint grave subsequent to Shiri’s dad and mom, who had been killed within the assault.
One other Gaza toddler dies
With individuals dwelling in tent camps and broken buildings in Gaza in chilly climate, well being officers mentioned one other toddler had died of hypothermia Wednesday, bringing the toll to seven over the previous two weeks.
Dr. Munir al-Boursh, director normal of Gaza’s Well being Ministry, mentioned the infant lower than two months outdated died as a result of “extreme chilly wave” that has hit the Palestinian enclave.
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Temperatures have been beneath 10 levels Celsius (50 levels Fahrenheit) at night time and the previous few days have been notably chilly. —Related Press
