Israel and Hamas exchanged dead Israeli hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a swap that was delayed with the sides accusing each other in recent days of breaking the terms of the Gaza ceasefire.
The Israeli military received the coffins of four hostages from the Red Cross after they were handed over by Hamas, Israel’s government announced early on Thursday.
Israel, in turn, freed around 640 imprisoned Palestinians, roughly 450 of which were detained in Gaza during the conflict. The exchange was the last of nine agreed to under a six-week pause in hostilities that began in mid-January and was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.
Israel was meant to free the prisoners earlier this week, but held off to protest against hostage-release ceremonies held by Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and many other countries. That was the latest display of brinkmanship between the two sides that has pushed the truce to breaking point.
The four bodies were handed over without the Hamas military ceremonies that accompanied previous releases. Israel’s government subsequently said it believes three of the people — Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan and Itzik Elgarat — “were murdered while held hostage in Gaza.” It said the fourth person, Shlomo Mantzur, was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and started the war.
Israeli forces have partly withdrawn from Gaza during the truce, while more aid is getting into the war-ravaged territory, home to around 2 million people.
The future of the ceasefire, which ends this weekend, remains uncertain. Negotiations to move onto a second phase that would map out an end to the war remain unresolved, with the two sides far apart in their ultimate goals.
Israel says Hamas, a militant group backed by Iran, must be disarmed and cannot have any role in the future governance of Gaza.
For now, Israel is seeking to extend the current truce to secure the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas. About two dozen of the roughly 60 hostages still in captivity are believed to be alive.
The Israeli military is also sending more troops to the Gaza border, demonstrating a willingness to return to war if required.
Source: American Military News