Hamas hands over four bodies

Hamas has delivered what you say are the bodies of the Israeli hostages from Gaza, compared to hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel tests the DNA samples to confirm that they are the remains of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ouhad Jealome, 50, Tsachi Aidan, 50, Essik Ellarat, 69, all of whom were taken by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Early on Thursday, Israel began to launch more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, as dozens returned to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where they met with cheerful crowds.

The final exchange of the first stage of the ceasefire deal will be, which is scheduled to end on Saturday.

Israel has not yet confirmed the results of the DNA tests conducted on the four bodies that were returned as part of the stock exchange.

Initial tests were expected to take place near the Israeli border of Gaza, and the Israeli media reported later that they had been transferred to the forensic laboratory in Tel Aviv.

This comes after handing over the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza by Hamas to Israel instead of the Israeli body of Sherry Pipbas last Thursday, which angered in Israel. Hamas said it was a wrong identity, and then handed over a corpse to Israel, which confirmed that Pepas would be.

Hamas handed the bodies separately, with no public party, as Israel requested, unlike previous exchanges.

Israel accused Hamas of “insulting” delivery celebrations – and was delayed in the release of last weekend prisoners because of what he said was the harsh treatment of hostages in delivery operations.

On Wednesday’s publications, a Hamas official told Agence France -Presse that the return of the four bodies will happen “without a year to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction.”

The photos released by the Reuters news agency showed a bus bearing what was believed to be Palestinian prisoners from Aurir Prison in the West Bank late Wednesday.

A bus carrying Palestinian prisoners later reached a checkpoint at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, where a large crowd gathered to celebrate their release.

Later, dozens of Palestinian prisoners were seen leaving buses outside the Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

It is expected that more than 400 Palestinian prisoners will be released by the Israeli forces during the war and 50 prisoners who spend life provisions in Israeli prisons.

Along with Over prison in the West Bank, Israel said earlier that prisoners will be released from Kitziott Prison in southern Israel.

The Hamas media office said that they manage it that the hospital in Gaza is preparing to receive the Palestinians who were released.

Tsatchi Aidan, 50, was taken by the gunmen from his home in Nahal Oz. His older child, Mayan – who was 18 years old – was shot in the attack. In August, Tsachi’s wife, Gali, told our TV that the last thing she heard about her husband was a report on the hostages issued in November 2023.

In a statement via the hostage and families forum, the Tsachi family said that with great sadness “they learned” the beloved Tsatchi was no longer alive and that his body would return to Israel during the night. “

Itzik Elgarat, 69, was kidnapped from Nir Oz, according to what was shot in the hand during the attack. His phone was tracked to Gaza after the attack.

The 50 -year -old Ohah Yahlumi was kidnapped from Nir Oz, along with his 12 -year -old son, Eitan, who was released during the ceasefire in November.

In February 2025, the Israeli Defense Army said it had informed the Shlomo Mansour family, born in Iraq, 86, that he was killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and took his body to Gaza.

The exchange is the final before the current stage of the ceasefire deal on Saturday.

It is still unclear whether the truce will be extended, or advanced to the second stage, which will witness the launch of all the remaining living hostages in Gaza in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.

Negotiations for the second stage will start during the first stage – but it is believed that it has not started yet.

On Wednesday, the release of the hostages will follow the dilemma between Israel and Hamas – which was dissolved by the mediators on Tuesday.

Israel was supposed to launch more than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, in exchange for the six living and four dead hostages by Hamas last week.

But Israel delayed the issueIn protest against what he said was the harsh treatment of Hamas to the Israeli hostages, where they were delivered.

Also on Wednesday, thousands of Israelis lined up on the roads of southern Israel In favor of the funeral procession of three hostages who were killed in captivity In Gaza – Sherry Pepas, her two sons, Ariel and Kafir.

Israeli television channels carried live feeding the viewer – and after a special burial – general effects by relatives, with crowds gathering to watch large screens in the field of Tel Aviv.

KFIR, nine -month -old, was from Kibbutz nir oz, smaller than 251 hostages that were extracted in Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. His brother, Ariel, four.

Sherry Pepas and her children were buried in one coffin next to the final resting place of Lucy, Yossi and Marijit Silberman, who lived in the same Kibbutz and killed there on October 7.

In total, about 1,200 people and 251 people were killed. The bloodiest war in the history of Gaza, in which more than 48,000 people were killed, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.