Hamas’ military wing, on Wednesday (Feb 26), said it would release the bodies of four Israeli hostages “tonight” as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades has decided to release the bodies of four hostages tonight,” the group stated.
A top Hamas official stated that the Palestinian militant group will not have a public ceremony for the transfer of the bodies of four Israeli hostages.
“The transfer will be done without public presence to avoid the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction,” the official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.
Hamas announced that it would release the bodies of Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian detainees, completing the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The United States said negotiations were going as scheduled for the second phase of the ceasefire accord, which largely has stuck but whose intricacy and extended application have highlighted its vulnerability.
The ceasefire has effectively put an end to the Israel-Hamas war that resulted from the October 7, 2023, attack. Under the deal, 25 hostages have been freed alive in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Mediators have told Hamas that the (hostage-prisoner) swap will occur on Thursday. Hamas and other resistance groups will deliver four bodies of Israeli hostages, and Israel will free over 600 Palestinian prisoners,” a Hamas official said to news agency AFP.
Another senior Hamas official stated that the “exchange will occur simultaneously.”. US President Donald Trump’s top negotiator indicated in Washington that Israeli officials are to attend negotiations for the follow-up stage of the ceasefire agreement.
