On Tuesday, Hamas announced it would release the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including the Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel, on Thursday. In addition, six living hostages will be freed on Saturday, a larger number than the three initially expected.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the agreement reached in Cairo, specifying that the bodies of four hostages will be handed over on Thursday, with six living hostages to be released on Saturday. They also stated that four more bodies are expected to be returned next week. Families of the hostages, both dead and alive, have been informed.
Israel is anticipated to release Palestinian prisoners in return, as in previous exchanges. Hamas had previously claimed that the Bibas children, aged 9 months and 4 years at the time of their kidnapping in October 2023, were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed their deaths.
