Gaza/Jerusalem

Palestinian armed groups on Thursday handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages to an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources confirmed.

This marked the first repatriation of deceased hostages under the ongoing ceasefire agreement. The handover took place near Bani Suhaila cemetery during a military parade attended by al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, and other Palestinian factions. A large crowd of masked gunmen surrounded the platform where the coffins were placed.

An al-Qassam Brigades militant lifted a black curtain to reveal four coffins adorned with pictures of the deceased. Hamas identified the bodies as Shiri Bibas, her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and an elderly man, Oded Lifshitz, who were killed in Gaza during the ongoing conflict.

The process formally began with a Hamas representative signing a transfer document alongside an ICRC official. The bodies were then handed over to Israeli forces in Gaza and will be transferred to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification. Once completed, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office stated that official notifications would be given to the families.

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The four hostages were captured during a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Mujahideen Brigades claimed responsibility for capturing the Bibas family, while the Al-Quds Brigades took responsibility for detaining Lifshitz. Both factions claimed the hostages remained alive until Israeli airstrikes targeted their detention sites.

Following the handover, Hamas issued a statement, saying the return of the bodies was for humanitarian reasons despite ongoing Israeli military violations against Palestinian prisoners. Hamas accused Israel of a "new crime" against its citizens, stating that the deaths were a direct result of Israeli airstrikes. The armed group also claimed that Israel obstructed hostage-for-prisoner exchange negotiations, prolonging the captives' detention and contributing to their deaths.