Hamas has handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, marking the final exchange under the current truce in Gaza, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The fragile ceasefire, which came into effect on January 19, has largely held despite multiple setbacks. However, uncertainty looms over its next phase, which aims to end the ongoing conflict. Hamas has indicated that further hostage releases will only take place if Israel commits to the ceasefire.
According to Israeli officials, the remains of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur—all abducted from their kibbutz homes near Gaza on October 7, 2023—were received early Thursday.
The bodies are undergoing forensic examination before formal notification to their families.
The exchange was delayed after Hamas initially handed over the remains of an unidentified Palestinian woman instead of hostage Shiri Bibas, rectifying the mistake the following day.
The unidentified woman’s body was later returned to a Gaza hospital.
Mediated by Egyptian officials, the handover was finalized without the public ceremonies that had drawn international criticism earlier. The United Nations had previously condemned Hamas for staging hostage handovers in front of crowds in Gaza.
With the first phase of the ceasefire nearing its conclusion this week, both sides remain at an impasse over the next steps in the conflict.
