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Israel releases Palestinian prisoners after Hamas hands over four hostages’ bodies Israel confirms Hamas handed over hostages' bodies as Palestinian prisoners released
(about 3 hours later)
Watch: Released Palestinian prisoners reunite with families in the West BankWatch: Released Palestinian prisoners reunite with families in the West Bank
Hamas has handed over what it says are the bodies of four Israeli hostages from Gaza, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Israel has completed forensic tests confirming the identities of four dead Israeli hostages whose bodies were handed over by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel is testing DNA samples to confirm they are the remains of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, Tsachi Idan, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69, all of whom were taken by Hamas in the 7 October 2023 attacks. On Wednesday night, without a ceremony, Hamas passed four coffins to the Red Cross from Gaza. The confirmation that they contained the remains of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, Tsachi Idan, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69, came on Thursday morning from their families and communities.
Early on Thursday, Israel began releasing more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, with dozens returned to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where they were met by jubilant crowds. The handover cleared the way for the delayed release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
It will be the final exchange of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which is due to end on Saturday. It was the last exchange of the six-week-long first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, with questions over what happens next.
Initial testing of the four bodies' DNA was expected to happen close to the Israel-Gaza border. Israeli media later reported they were transported to a forensics laboratory in Tel Aviv. Hamas has said it is ready to start delayed talks on the second phase, which aims to end the war and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
It comes after the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza was handed over by Hamas to Israel instead of the body of Israeli Shiri Bibas last Thursday, prompting fury in Israel. Hamas said it was a mistake and later handed over Bibas's body. But Israel's prime minister, who faces pressures from his political allies to resume fighting and crush Hamas, has pushed for an extension of the current phase.
Hamas transferred the latest bodies privately, with no public ceremony, unlike in previous exchanges. The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy the Palestinian armed group in response to its unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Israel has accused Hamas of orchestrating "humiliating" handover ceremonies, and delayed last weekend's prisoner release because of what it said was the cruel treatment of hostages at the handovers. At least 48,348 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Before Wednesday's releases, a Hamas official told the AFP news agency that the return of the four bodies would take place "without public presence to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction". Most of Gaza's population of 2.1 million has also been displaced multiple times, almost 70% of buildings are estimated to be damaged or destroyed, the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed, and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
Photos released by Reuters show a bus carrying what are believed to be Palestinian prisoners out of Ofer prison in the West Bank late on Wednesday. The Israeli military says Shlomo Mansour was killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and his body taken to Gaza
A bus carrying Palestinian prisoners later arrived at a checkpoint at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, where a large crowd has gathered to celebrate their release.
Later, dozens of Palestinian prisoners were seen getting off buses outside a hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza.
Those expected to be released include more than 400 Gazans detained by Israeli forces during the war and 50 prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails.
Israel said earlier that prisoners would also be released from Ketziot prison in southern Israel, as well as from Ofer.
The Hamas-run Prisoners' Media Office said a hospital in Gaza was preparing to receive the released Palestinians.
The Israeli military says Shlomo Mansour, 86, was killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and his body taken to Gaza
Tsachi Idan was ambushed with his wife and children and then led awayTsachi Idan was ambushed with his wife and children and then led away
Itzik Elgarat, 69, was kidnapped from Nir Oz On Thursday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the hostages' families, said it had "received with profound sorrow the news about the identification of Itzik Elgarat, Tsachi Idan, Shlomo Mansour and Ohad Yahalomi", adding that all four men had been murdered.
Tsachi Idan, 50, was taken by Hamas gunmen from his home in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border. His eldest child, Maayan - who had just turned 18 - was shot dead in the attack. "Fifty-nine hostages remain in captivity with no release date in sight. We urge all decision makers to ensure the return of the last hostage by the 50th day of the agreement," it added.
In a statement via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Tsachi's family said it was "with great sadness" that they had learnt "our beloved Tsachi is no longer alive and that his body will be returned to Israel during the night". "The hostages have no time left - they must return home to be reunited with their families or brought to a dignified burial."
Itzik Elgarat, 69, was kidnapped from Nir Oz, another kibbutz, and reportedly shot in the hand during the attack. His phone was traced to Gaza following the attack. Tsachi Idan was taken by Hamas gunmen from his home in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border on 7 October 2023. His eldest child, Maayan - who had just turned 18 - was shot dead in the attack.
Ohad Yahalomi, 50, was abducted from Nir Oz, along with his 12-year-old son, Eitan, who was released during the November ceasefire. Itzik Elgarat was kidnapped from Nir Oz, another kibbutz, and reportedly shot in the hand during the attack. His phone was traced to Gaza following the attack.
The IDF said in February that it had informed the family of Iraq-born Shlomo Mansour, 86, that he was killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and his body taken to Gaza. Ohad Yahalomi was abducted from Nir Oz, along with his 12-year-old son, Eitan, who was released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023.
The Israeli military said earlier this month that it had informed the family of Iraq-born Shlomo Mansour that he was killed by Hamas at Kibbutz Kissufim on 7 October 2023 and that his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage.
Itzik Elgarat was kidnapped from Nir Oz
Ohad Yahalomi was abducted from Nir OzOhad Yahalomi was abducted from Nir Oz
The exchange is the final one before the current phase of the ceasefire deal ends on Saturday. Hamas handed over the four men's bodies late on Wednesday night, with no public ceremony, unlike in previous exchanges during the current ceasefire.
It remains unclear whether the truce will be extended, or progress to a planned phase two, which would see the release of all remaining living hostages in Gaza in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. Israeli authorities carried out initial forensic testing close to the Israel-Gaza border before transferring the remains to a forensics laboratory in Tel Aviv.
Negotiations for phase two were due to start during the first phase of the ceasefire - but it is thought that they have yet to begin. It came after the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza was handed over by Hamas to Israel instead of the body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas last Thursday, prompting fury in Israel. Hamas said it was a mistake and transferred Bibas's body the following day.
The impasse between Israel and Hamas over the nature of hostage handovers was resolved by mediators on Tuesday. On Saturday, Israel delayed the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners because of what it said was the cruel treatment of hostages at the public handovers.
The 600 Palestinian prisoners were due to be released in exchange for the six living and four dead hostages Hamas handed over last week - but this was delayed until the next handover was guaranteed, and without what Israel described as the degrading ceremonies. After days of impasse, Egyptian mediators secured the exchange, with the Israeli prime minister's office saying the hostages' bodies would be handed over "in an agreed-upon procedure and without Hamas ceremonies".
On Wednesday, thousands of Israelis lined the roads of southern Israel for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas, and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were killed in captivity in Gaza. A Hamas official meanwhile told the AFP news agency that the return of the four bodies would take place "without public presence to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction".
Israeli TV channels carried a live feed of the scenes and - after a private burial - the public eulogies by relatives, with crowds gathering to watch on large screens in Tel Aviv's Hostages' Square. On Wednesday, thousands of Israelis lined the roads of southern Israel for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were killed in captivity in Gaza.
Kfir, aged nine months, from Nir Oz, was the youngest of the 251 hostages snatched in the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks. His brother, Ariel, was just four. Thousands of Israelis watched the funeral procession and burial of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas on Wednesday
Shiri Bibas and her children were buried in a single casket next to her parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, who lived in the same kibbutz and were killed there on 7 October. Following the handover of the bodies, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners left Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and then arriving at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, where a large crowd gathered to celebrate their release.
In total, some 1,200 people were killed and 251 people taken hostage. It ignited the deadliest war in Gaza's history, in which more than 48,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Later, dozens of Palestinian prisoners were seen getting off buses outside a hospital in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. They were among more than 400 Gazans detained by Israeli forces without charge during the war.
Dozens of prisoners convicted of carrying out deadly attacks on Israelis are also being sent abroad.
It now remains unclear whether the truce will be extended or progress to a planned second phase, which would see the release of all remaining living hostages in Gaza in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
Indirect negotiations for the second phase were due to start earlier this month but they have not yet got under way.