Hamas handed over the bodies of the four remaining Israeli hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire. Image credit: The Guardian
(The Post News)- Hamas handed over the bodies of the four remaining Israeli hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire deal to the Red Cross, meeting a key provision of the deal. The bodies of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur, who were abducted from their kibbutz homes on October 7, 2023, were handed over to Israeli authorities in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
A delegation of Palestinian detainees released from Israel’s Ofer prison in the West Bank arrived in Ramallah under a sea of supporters. Detainees were cheered as they stepped off buses, others on shoulders to jubilate.
The Palestinians, according to a Hamas source, freed 445 men and 24 women and children from Gaza, and 151 life prisoners who were jailed for attacking Israelis. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister stated that the bodies were transferred at the Kerem Shalom crossing under Egyptian mediation. Israel is carrying out an initial identification process.
The families of the abductees are being maintained in constant touch with progress and will be notified officially at the conclusion of the entire process of identification,” it said, requesting people to show respect for the privacy of the families. This exchange finalized the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, under which Hamas freed 33 hostages—eight of whom were dead—in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
Hamas indicates that it will consider negotiating the second stage of the ceasefire, but maintains that any such future releases of hostages must be coupled with concrete commitments. Israeli authorities have not yet come out with plans for stage two but are said to have made a request to extend the first stage by 42 more days, which would enable phased release of the Israeli hostages without giving a commitment for the withdrawal of troops from Gaza. Hamas opposed this on the basis that it called for ending Israeli action for the release of the remaining hostages.
Egyptian negotiators, who spearheaded the most recent hostage release, have told CNN that negotiations are already under way for a framework to the second phase. The negotiations are set to resume in Cairo before this weekend’s Saturday deadline for the ceasefire.
The war has been a killing one, and Gaza’s Health Ministry has listed over 48,000 Palestinians killed and over 111,000 wounded. The Gaza Government Media Office estimated the death toll at over 61,700, including persons presumed dead trapped under the debris.Israeli authorities, on the other hand, said at least 1,139 were slain and over 200 were taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas attack.As talks go on, the world holds its breath to know whether the two parties will find common ground on a way forward—or whether fighting will resume when the ceasefire runs out.
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