Hamas returns bodies of 4 hostages, Israel releases Palestinian prisoners
Hamas has returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages while waiting for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel, Reuters reported on February 27. The exchange, which took place overnight, was the final part of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Return of hostages' bodies
The ceasefire, which took effect on January 19, has largely held despite setbacks, but the first phase of the deal is due to end this week and the fate of the next phase, which aims to end the war, remains unclear.
Hamas said on February 27 that it was ready to launch negotiations for a second phase and the only way the remaining hostages would be released was through commitment to the ceasefire.
After days of deadlock, Egyptian mediators on February 26 secured the return of the bodies of the last four hostages in the first phase of the deal, in exchange for 620 Palestinians captured by Israeli forces in Gaza or held in Israeli prisons.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said early on February 27 that Israel received coffins containing the remains of four hostages.
Hamas had previously identified the bodies as those of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlomo Mantzur, all of whom were abducted in an October 7, 2023, attack from homes near Gaza.
The bodies are being initially identified on Israeli territory and formal notifications will be sent to the hostages' families once the process is complete, Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
The repatriation deal was also delayed earlier after Hamas returned the remains of an unidentified Palestinian woman instead of Shiri Bibas, before returning the correct body the following day. The unidentified woman’s body was returned to a Gaza hospital on February 27, medical staff said.
According to the Israeli Health Ministry, a full autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death of the last four bodies returned to Israel. According to Israeli authorities, about 30 hostages have died in Gaza, some killed by their captors and others in Israeli attacks.
Release Palestinian prisoners
According to a Hamas source, the Palestinian prisoners expected to be released include 445 men and 24 women and minors captured in Gaza, as well as 151 prisoners serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.
A bus carrying several freed Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and arrived in the Palestinian city of Ramallah shortly afterwards, according to live footage.
The group disembarked to cheers from hundreds gathered outside, and some of the freed men – wearing green jackets and keffiyeh head scarves – were cheered by the crowd.
Bilal Yassin, 42, told Reuters he had been detained in Israel for 20 years. The West Bank native said he had faced oppression and poor conditions during that time. “Our sacrifices and imprisonment were not in vain,” Yassin said. “We always believed in the Palestinian resistance.”
Nearly 100 other Palestinian prisoners were handed over to Egypt, where they will remain until another country accepts them, according to a Hamas source and Egyptian media.
Ambulances then arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, early on February 27, carrying freed Palestinian prisoners, who will undergo health checks.
In total, Hamas says 580 prisoners and detainees will be released in Gaza. Red Cross-escorted buses are expected to arrive in the coming hours.
The first phase of the ceasefire included the exchange of a total of 33 Israeli hostages for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from some positions in Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid.
However, with the 42-day ceasefire set to end on March 1, it remains unclear whether it will be extended to allow for the release of more of the remaining 59 hostages, or whether negotiations for the second phase of the deal can begin.
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