Gaza City (Web Desk/Agencies): Hamas returned bodies of four hostages, the Israeli authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to the International media reports, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were also released from Israeli custody, who arrived in the West Bank and Gaza.
This release was part of an ongoing exchange, with over 600 individuals scheduled for release.
Reports indicated that nearly 100 of these prisoners would be sent to Egypt. Originally, this exchange was supposed to happen last weekend, but tensions arose after Hamas organized public ceremonies for the hostages, which led Israel to delay the process.
These delays threatened the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which was meant to last until Saturday.
Hamas, in a statement on Telegram, declared that Israel now had no choice but to enter discussions on the next phase of negotiations.
The group emphasized that it had effectively eliminated Israel’s ability to justify any further delay in the process.
Upon arriving in Ramallah, many of the released prisoners were welcomed with jubilant celebrations. Some were carried by friends and family, while others were greeted with emotional embraces, and children raised their hands in victory signs.
Earlier, Hamas stated that the handover of the four deceased Israeli hostages would be conducted privately to prevent any disruptions. The bodies of those identified were Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, and Shlomo Mansour.
The ceasefire, which has brought about the release of 25 living hostages in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners, has temporarily halted the violence.
However, the conflict has continued to claim lives, with the Israeli military conducting air strikes on Gaza after a projectile launched from the territory fell short of its target.
In Washington, the US government indicated that Israeli representatives were en route to negotiations regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the human toll of the conflict remains devastating, with over 48,000 Palestinians reported dead in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
