Hamas hands over bodies of 4 Israeli hostages

New Delhi, Feb 20: Hamas handed over the dead bodies of four Israeli hostages for the first time under the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreements as grief and sorrow gripped Israel as the coffins of four Israeli hostages reached.

The remains of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, along with 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifschitz, were transferred to Israeli authorities after forensic verification.

The bodies arrived at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Jaffa, where teams conducted formal identification, according to Israeli health ministry spokesperson Shira Solomon.

Hamas claims the Bibas family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike last year, but Israeli authorities have not confirmed the cause of death pending forensic examination.

In Khan Younis, Gaza, a sombre handover took place as Hamas members, some armed, oversaw the transfer of four coffins. An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) convoy arrived, with an aid worker signing official documents before the coffins were shielded from view and carefully placed into vehicles. The convoy departed at 10:00 AM, and by midday, the remains had reached southern Israel.

As the bodies made their way to the forensic institute, mourning Israelis lined the route, while others gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, reflecting the nation’s deep pain and loss.