Hamas hands over four bodies of Israeli captives

CAIRO – 20 February 2025: Hamas movement has handed over the bodies of four Israeli captives, including Bibas family (two young boys and their mother), as part of the ceasefire agreement between the movement and Israel after tireless efforts of mediation from Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

The Red Cross team signed documents on receiving the bodies of the four Israeli captives amid a large public presence.

In a statement, Hamas movement’s Al-Qassam Brigades and the other resistance factions said that they were keen to respect the sanctity of the dead and the feelings of their families during the ceremony of handing over the bodies of the prisoners, even though the occupation army did not respect their lives.

In a message to the family of the Israeli captives’ Bibas and Lifshitz, Hamas said that the movement “would have preferred your sons to return to you alive, but your army and government leaders chose to kill them instead of bringing them back.”

Hamas movement added that the only way for the return of the Israeli prisoners alive is through the prisoner swap deal, adding that any attempt to retrieve them by military force or return to war will only result in more losses among the prisoners.

On Saturday, Hamas will release six living Israeli captives, double the number initially agreed upon in the swap. Head of the Hamas Movement Khalil Al-Hayya said Israel, in return, will release Palestinian prisoners on the same day.

These captives are the last living prisoners set to be freed during the first phase of the ceasefire in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Among the captives scheduled for release on Saturday are Hisham Al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, according to Hayya. They were captured in 2014 and 2015 after crossing into Gaza. 

In return, a total of 800 Palestinian prisoners will be released as part of the deal on Saturday. The would-be released Palestinians inmates will include 445 prisoners from the Gaza Strip, who were arrested after October 7, 2023, 110 prisoners serving life sentences or long-term sentences, and 47 prisoners who were released in the 2011 Shalit deal and then re-arrested. Also, the Palestinian prisoners will include 200 women and children under the age of 19  from Gaza, who were arrested during the war.

Additionally, senior leaders of the Qassam Brigades in the West Bank, most notably Abdel Nasser Issa, Othman Bilal, and Ammar Al-Zaben, will be among the would-be released prisoners.

As the first phase of the ceasefire approaches its final week, Hamas has committed to releasing all remaining bodies of the agreed-upon deceased captives it holds.

The movement has also expressed readiness to release all captives designated for phase two of the ceasefire deal with Israel in a single operation.

Phase two entails a permanent end to the war, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of all captives held by Hamas, whether alive or deceased.

Talks intended to initiate this phase were scheduled to begin earlier this month but have not yet commenced.

Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in Gaza on January 19, Hamas has released 24 individuals captured from Israel on October 7, 2023, with more than 70 captives still held there, including dead ones.

In return, Israel has released a total of 1,135 Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences.

The agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, has halted over 15 months of Israeli war that devastated the enclave and killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil