Hamas hands over bodies of four Israeli captives

Hamas on Thursday released the bodies of four Israeli captives, including a mother and her two children of the Bibas family, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians to be released later this week.

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya announced the release of the four bodies on Tuesday, adding that another six living hostages, including Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who have been detained in Gaza since 2014, are expected to be released this Saturday.

The four other Israeli captives, taken on 7 October 2023, include Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen.

Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir and Ariel, were reportedly killed in an air strike in November 2023, according to Hamas. Yarden Bibas, Shiri's husband, was released last month during phase one of the ceasefire deal. 

The body of Oded Lifshitz was also released. Lifshitz was 83 when he was abducted from the Nir Oz settlement he established with his wife, Yocheved.

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