Hamas transferred the bodies of four deceased hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza on Thursday, marking the latest development in the ongoing ceasefire deal with Israel.

The Red Cross took custody of four black coffins during a ceremony in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. A Hamas commander and a Red Cross official signed documents on stage to formalize the handover.

A banner on stage, written in both Arabic and English, read:

“The Return of War = The Return of Your Prisoners in Coffins.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) issued a joint statement:

“According to information communicated by the Red Cross, four caskets of deceased hostages were transferred to them, and they are being taken to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip.”

An IDF-held ceremony for the four deceased hostages was conducted in the IDF-controlled Gaza buffer zone, a security official told ABC News.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the receipt of the bodies, stating:

“The families of the abductees have been informed, and our hearts go out to them at this difficult time.”

The statement urged the public to respect the families’ privacy and avoid spreading unverified information.

The four hostages returned to Israel were:

• Oded Lifshitz – Journalist and peace activist
• Shiri Bibas – Mother abducted with her two children
• Ariel Bibas (4 years old)
• Kfir Bibas (9 months old) – The youngest hostage taken on October 7, 2023

During the handover, Hamas issued a statement, claiming:

“To the families of Bibas and Lifshitz: We would have preferred your sons to return to you alive, but your army and government leaders chose to kill them instead of bringing them back.”

Hamas also blamed Israel’s military campaign, stating:

“They killed with them: 17,881 Palestinian children, in their criminal bombardment of the Gaza Strip.”

The first phase of the ceasefire deal is ongoing, with negotiations for phase two still pending.

The Hostage Families Forum has urged Israel to move forward with the next stage, stating:

“No time to waste.”

• Six hostages are scheduled for release Saturday.
• Four more deceased hostages will be returned to Israel next week.

The six hostages expected to be freed on Saturday include:

• Eliya Cohen (27)
• Tal Shoham (40)
• Omer Shem Tov (22)
• Omer Wenkrat (23)
• Hisham Al-Sayed (36)
• Avera Mengistu (39)

Qatar’s foreign ministry stated on Tuesday that talks for the second phase of the ceasefire have not yet begun.

While Hamas claims it is ready to negotiate, the group has accused Israel of stalling talks.

Last week, Hamas threatened to halt hostage releases, accusing Israel of failing to allow the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza. However, the exchange proceeded as planned, with three hostages released last Saturday.

With tensions still high, the focus remains on whether ceasefire negotiations will progress and when the remaining hostages will be freed.