Cairo (AP) — In a significant development, Hamas announced that it will return the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday. This exchange is part of an agreement where Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This move comes just days before the first phase of the ceasefire between the two parties is set to expire.
Israel has delayed the release of approximately 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday, citing what it describes as the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas. The militant group has criticized this delay as a “serious violation” of the ceasefire, stating that discussions on a second phase cannot proceed until the Palestinians are freed.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou informed The Associated Press on Wednesday that the group would hand over the bodies of four Israelis the next day. In return, Israel is expected to release the Palestinian prisoners, including an unspecified number of women and minors detained since the militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the conflict.
An Israeli official confirmed the expected return of the bodies but provided no additional details, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak with the media. Both Israel and Hamas had previously indicated on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to return the bodies, although no specific date was announced.
Hamas has previously conducted public ceremonies to release hostages and the bodies of deceased hostages, during which the Israelis were paraded and made to wave to large crowds. Israel, along with the Red Cross and UN officials, has condemned these ceremonies as humiliating to the hostages. In protest, Israel delayed the scheduled prisoner release over the past weekend.
According to a senior Hamas official, there will be no public ceremony for the return of the four bodies in the latest exchange, expected to occur in the early hours of Thursday. The official spoke anonymously due to lack of media authorization.
The deadlock over the exchange has threatened the fragile ceasefire as the current six-week first phase of the deal approaches its expiration this weekend. The latest agreement is set to fulfill both sides' obligations of the first phase — with Hamas returning 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
This agreement could pave the way for an anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the region this week. Witkoff has expressed a desire for negotiations on the second phase, during which all remaining hostages held by Hamas are expected to be released, and an end to the war is to be negotiated. Although Phase 2 talks were expected to begin weeks ago, they are yet to commence.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, put an end to 15 months of intense fighting that followed Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and the abduction of approximately 250 people.
Israel's military offensive has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Palestinian health officials. The conflict has displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and severely damaged the territory’s infrastructure and health system. The Hamas-run Health Ministry reports that over half of the deceased are women and children.
Amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis, health officials in the Gaza Strip reported the death of another infant from hypothermia on Wednesday. This brings the toll to seven infant deaths over the past two weeks. Dr. Munir al-Boursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, stated that a baby less than two months old died due to the “severe cold wave” affecting the Palestinian enclave, where temperatures have dropped below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night.
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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.
