Hamas will hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday and six living captives will be released on Saturday, militant group leader Khalil al-Hayya said on Tuesday. Initially, only three hostages were expected to be freed, but Hamas has not provided a reason for the change. Under phase one of the three-stage ceasefire deal, 33 hostages were set to be released. So far, 19 have been freed, while Israel has confirmed that eight are dead. The six set to be released on Saturday will be the final living hostages under this phase of the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed the release. “Understandings have been reached in the Cairo negotiations according to which six living first-stage hostages will be released on Saturday,” the PM’s office said on X. Among those being released are two Israelis, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas for over a decade, according to the Times of Israel. Additionally, al-Hayya stated that the bodies of four individuals, including members of the Bibas family, would be handed over on Thursday. Yarden Bibas, 34, his wife Shiri, 33, and their children Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, were taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has expressed deep concern over the condition of Shiri and her children but has not confirmed reports of their deaths. Earlier this month, Yarden Bibas was released along with two other hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement. The second phase of the ceasefire, which is expected to be more challenging, has yet to be negotiated. In this phase, Hamas is expected to release more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. The hostage releases so far have been in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The ceasefire, which began in mid-January, has helped pause the deadliest fighting between Israel and Hamas, allowed aid to flow into Gaza, and enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to their homes as Israeli forces withdrew from much of the territory. (With Inputs from Associated Press)
