Hamas on Thursday said the bodies of four Israeli hostages accused of attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 were the women the Israelis deemed to be a malicious symbol of Hamas' assault. He handed over what he said was an attack on southern Israel, including her two young children.
A crowd of Palestinians gathered near the southern city of Gaza to watch the play handoffs performed by Hamas. Four ffins were set on the stage with banners featuring pictures of the cartoon-style vampire by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Winning music smashed in the background.
Miles away, Israel saw the scene unfold in fear and anguish. This contrasts with the catharsis caused by the recent release of hostages who survived the ordeal. Israeli leaders have vowed to defeat Hamas and bring around 250 hostages back during the 2023 attack by extremist groups and their allies.
However, Netanyahu has also been criticized by many Israelis for not agreeing to a ceasefire sooner than he may have saved some of the prisoners of war dead in Gaza. Hamas' power shows in exchange over the past few weeks have revealed that the group is in great power.
Israel and Hamas are now in the final week of the 42-day ceasefire that began in late January. As part of the armistice, Hamas agreed to hand over 25 living Israeli hostages and eight other bodies in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
In exchange for the bodies, Israel is expected to free women and minors from Gaza, who were detained during the war.
Two Israeli officials said detainees are scheduled to be released on Saturday to allow Israel to conduct forensic testing and identify the bodies. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not permitted to speak publicly.
On Thursday, when rain fell in Gaza, officials from the International Red Cross, who had served as retirees during the exchange, put four cops in white vehicles. Israel later confirmed that they brought boxes to the Israeli army.
Hamas identified 32 cirivivas when the four of them accrued. And when he was taken hostage, 83 oded. All four were accused of Hamas' October 7 surprise attack (the deadliest day in Israeli history), killing around 1,200 people.
Israel's relentless campaign against Hamas in Gaza quickly continued, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving many of the enclaves in abandoned. Hamas said four hostages were also killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israeli officials have not confirmed it yet.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had “no words” about the anguish that hit the Israeli masses.
“Our hearts – the hearts of the nation – are in ruins,” Herzog wrote on social media. “On behalf of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness to not protect you on that terrible day, forgiveness to not take you home safely.”
The prisoners were lured by Palestinian militants of Nir Oz, one of the most difficult Israeli communities during the Hamas-led attack. About a quarter of the village's 400 residents were killed or taken hostage during the assault.
Those accused were Vivas, her husband Yaden Bivas and her children, Ariel and Kfir. Footage from a scene that is now burned into Israeli national memory could be seen as a terrifying Vivas, covered in a blanket, holding his two children in his chest.
In November 2023, Hamas issued a statement announcing the deaths of Vivas and their two children. The group also released a propaganda video featuring Vivas sobbing in response to the news. Human rights groups say such videos amount to war crimes.
Lifshitz, a retired journalist and peace activist, was taken along with his wife, Yokebed Lifshitz. Hamas later released her for saying that she was “humanitarian reasons,” but refused to release her husband. Before the war, Lifshitz volunteered to drive Gazas to hospitals for treatment in Israel.
Both Israelis and Palestinians have seen emotional homecomings in recent weeks. The Israeli hostages were reunited with their family months later in Warren, an underground tunnel in Hamas. Palestinian prisoners – Some have been convicted of extremism, while others who have been detained without charges have accepted their loved ones outside Israeli prisons.
On Saturday, Hamas will be releasing the last six living hostages in the first phase of a ceasefire with Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. It's expected. The ruins of four more hostages will be released next weekend.
However, the future of a ceasefire after the first phase, which is scheduled to expire in early March, is still surrounded by uncertainty.
Israel and Hamas have not agreed to the terms of expanding the agreement to a new stage of ending the war, releasing the remaining living hostages, and seeing the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. This week, the Qatar government is mediating cooperation with Egypt and the US — said negotiations on the issue have not yet been formally launched.
President Trump has put pressure on both sides to win such a deal. However, Israel refused to continue to decorate Hamas in Gaza, but Hamas has shown little desire to disband a battalion of armed fighter jets or to insulate Gaza leaders. yeah.
