Hamas in the Gaza Strip hands over four dead hostages

Red cross receives coffins

Hamas hands four dead hostages

With unworthy productions of hostages, Hamas has stalled the ceasefire agreement with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Now it went differently.

According to media reports, the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages to representatives of the Red Cross. In the late evening, Israeli media reported to Israeli government officials. The Islamist Hamas in Gaza also confirmed the handover to the Red Cross.

Previously, the Israeli Prime Minister had announced that an agreement on the manner of the handover was reached. In particular, this time there was no ceremony with armed fighters and loud music when handing over the coffins to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Israel had insisted on this in advance.

After the handover, Israel released detained Palestinians again. A bus with several freed Palestinian prisoners left the Israeli prison Ofer on Thursday night, as a reporter from the AFP news agency saw. The bus then met in Ramallah, where the released Palestinians were welcomed by a cheering crowd. In return, more than 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons are said to be released.

Israel had suspended the release of the Palestinians after receiving the six hostages on the last Saturday. The Jewish state had justified this step with the degrading ceremonies, which Hamas staged the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip in the previous handover of living and dead hostages.

Israel only wanted to confirm the identity of the corpses now handed over after their investigation. According to media reports and relatives, these were the remains of four Israeli men between the ages of 50 and 86. Three of them were kidnapped on October 7, 2023 from two kibbutzim near the Gaza border. The fourth man was killed in the south of Israel in the attack by Hamas and other groups, the terrorists had kidnapped his body to Gaza.

HAMAS has always used the hostage clearance as a demonstration of power and spectacle for onlookers. The kidnapped people were often demonstrated on a stage and visibly received instructions to smile and wave the waiting crowd of armed Islamists. Last weekend, an Israeli also had to kiss two hooded members of Hamas on the forehead.

Also in the handover of corpses of Israeli hostages, including two toddlers, who are also German citizens, there was an internationally criticized procedure last Thursday. Hamas had laid the coffins on a stage, numerous cheering onlookers and dozens of hooded Islamists gathered at the handover, while loud music played.

As part of a first phase of the multi -stage agreement between Israel and Hamas, 33 hostages, including eight deaths, were to be released. This has now been fully implemented. In return, 1,904 Palestinian prisoners should be released. The first phase should officially end on weekends.

According to the Qatarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agreement provides for the first phase to continue as long as both parties to conflict negotiate the second phase. This should lead to a final end of the war and to the release of the remaining hostages. The fights could therefore remain suspended – although both warring parties have so far – unlike intended – have not yet had any serious negotiations on the second phase.