Hamas agrees to return bodies of 4 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners

With just days to go before the first phase of the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was set to expire, the terrorist group has agreed to release the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 

Israel has delayed the release of about 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it regarded as the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas. 

"In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Tensions were made worse after Hamas said it was turning over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons – only for it to later be revealed that the identity of the mom did not match. 

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The militant group said it had "no interest in withholding any bodies in its possession," claiming that the dead hostages handed over had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023 and that the bodies could have been misidentified due to bombardments in the area. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari denies this and said Ariel and Kfir Bibas were killed by their captors.

Hamas has accused Israel of committing a "serious violation" by delaying the ceasefire agreement and said that talks on a second phase aren't possible until the Palestinians are freed.

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But Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou later told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Hamas would hand over the bodies of four Israelis the next day.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, thousands of Israelis lined the highways as the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children were transported to their burial.

Shiri Bibas was kidnapped with her two sons — Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old — from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023. 

Yarden Bibas, their father, was taken separately, and released during the ceasefire last month. The three will be buried on Kibbutz Nir Oz on Wednesday afternoon.