Israel confirms that Hamas handed over the piles of hostages when Palestinian prisoners were released

Israel has completed forensic tests in which the identity of four dead Israeli hostages was confirmed, the corpses of which were handed over by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

On Wednesday evening, Hamas without a ceremony drove four coffins to the Red Cross from the Gaza Strip. The confirmation that they contained the remains of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, Tsachi Idan (50) and Itzik Elgarat (69) came from their families and communities on Thursday morning.

The handover solved the path for the late release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners and prisoners.

It was the last exchange of the six-week first phase of the Gaza Ceasefire deal with questions about what will happen next.

Hamas said it was ready to start delayed talks in the second phase that aim to end the war and to secure the publication of the remaining Israeli hostages.

But Israel's Prime Minister, who is exposed to the pressure of his political allies to resume fights and crush Hamas, has advanced an extension of the current phase.

The Israeli military started a campaign for the destruction of the Palestinian armed group in response to its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and taken hostage.

Since then, at least 48,348 people in Gaza have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry of the Territory.

Most population of 2.1 million in Gaza have been replaced several times, almost 70% of the buildings are estimated or destroyed. The health, water, hygiene and hygiene systems have collapsed, and there is a lack of food, fuel, medicine and accommodation.

On Thursday morning, the forum for hostages and missing families that represented the families of hostage said “with profound mourning the news about the identification of Itzik Elgarat, Tsachi Idan, Shlomo Mansour and Ohad Yahalomi”, and added that all four men were murdered.

“Fifty -nine hostages remain in captivity and without a publication date. We ask all decision -makers to ensure the return of the last hostage by the 50th day of the agreement,” she added.

“The hostages have no time left – they have to return home in order to be reunited with their families or to be brought to a worthy funeral.”

Tsachi Idan was recorded on October 7, 2023 by Hamas armed men from his house in Nahale Oz, a kibbutz near the border between Gaza Strip. His oldest child, Maayaner, who was just 18 years old – was shot in the attack.

Itzik Elgarat was kidnapped by Nir Oz, another kibbutz, and reports that they were shot in hand during the attack. His phone was returned after the attack on Gaza Strip.

Ohad Yahalomi was kidnapped by Nir Oz with his 12-year-old son Eisan, who was released during a one-week ceasefire in November 2023.

The Israeli military said at the beginning of this month that the family of Shlomo Mansour, born in Iraq, announced that it was killed by Hamas in Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7, 2023 and his body was brought to Gaza as hostage.

Hamas presented the four men of men late Wednesday evening without a public ceremony, in contrast to previous stock exchanges during the current ceasefire.

The Israeli authorities carried out initial forensic tests near the border between Israel and Gaza before transferring the remains to a forensic laboratory in Tel Aviv.

After the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza was handed over by Hamas to Israel, instead of the body of the Israeli Geisel Shiri Bibas last Thursday, which prompted anger in Israel. Hamas said it was a mistake and broadcast Bibas' body the next day.

On Saturday, Israel delayed the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners Because of what it said, the cruel treatment of hostages in the public handover was.

After days of dead end, the Egyptian mediators secured the exchange, whereby the office of the Israeli Prime Minister said that the hostages of hostages “would be handed over” in an agreed procedure and without Hamas ceremonies “.

A Hamas officer has since announced the AFP news agency that the return of the four positions “would take place without public presence in order to prevent the occupation from determining a pretext for delays or disabilities”.

On Wednesday, Thousands of Israelis lined the streets of South Israel for the mourning procession of Shiri Bibas And their two sons Ariel and Kfir, who were killed in Gaza in captivity.

After handing over the corpses, buses with Palestinian prisoners who left the prison in the occupied West Bank and then arrived at the Ramallah cultural palace, where a large amount gathered to celebrate their release.

Later, dozens of Palestinian prisoners got out of the bus in front of a hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the southern Gaza. They belonged to more than 400 Gazans who were imprisoned without indictment during the war.

Dozens of prisoners who were convicted of fatal attacks on Israelis are also sent abroad.

It remains unclear whether the ceasefire is being extended or progresses in a planned second phase in which all remaining hostages in Gaza are published in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.

Indirect negotiations for the second phase should begin at the beginning of this month, but they have not yet started.