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Hamas says to swap four Israeli hostages’ bodies for prisoners

Hamas said it would exchange the bodies of four Israeli hostages for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, capping the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.The United States said talks were on track for a second phase of the ceasefire deal that has largely held but whose complexity and long-drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility.In Israel on Wednesday, thousands of mourners gathered for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in captivity in Gaza and had become symbols of the country’s hostage ordeal.The ceasefire has largely halted the Israel-Hamas war sparked by the October 7, 2023 attack, and has seen 25 hostages released alive so far in exchange for hundreds of prisoners.”Mediators have informed Hamas that the (hostage-prisoner) exchange will take place on Thursday… Hamas and other resistance factions will hand over four bodies of Israeli captives, and in return, Israel will release more than 600 Palestinian detainees,” a Hamas official told AFP.Another senior Hamas official said the “exchange will happen simultaneously”.In Washington, US President Donald Trump’s top envoy on the Middle East said Israeli representatives were en route to talks on the next phase of the ceasefire deal.”We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Steve Witkoff told an event for the American Jewish Committee.”It’s either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris,” he said.Israel has yet to confirm its release, and has not commented on whether it is sending a delegation to discuss the second phase of the truce.This first phase is supposed to end on Saturday, but negotiations planned for the rest of the process — which were to begin in early February — have not yet started.Hamas has said it is ready to release “in one go” all the remaining hostages during the second phase.On Sunday, the group accused Israel of endangering the Gaza truce by delaying the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.Israel justified the delay by citing concerns over how the hostages have been freed, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the process as “humiliating ceremonies”.- Minute’s silence -Israel’s parliament held a minute of silence to mourn the deaths of three members of the Bibas family, as well as other victims of October 7 attack on Israel.”Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas is taking place. We remember all the victims of October 7. We remember, and we will not forget,” said Amir Ohana, speaker of the Knesset.Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, Hamas has released 25 living hostages in public ceremonies across Gaza, where masked, armed fighters have escorted the captives onto stages decorated with slogans.Israel has released more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.The International Committee of the Red Cross has urged all parties to carry out prisoner and hostage swaps “in a dignified and private manner”.In Israel, the prisoners are largely viewed as “terrorists” for the violent attacks they have carried out against civilians and security forces.For Palestinians, however, the releases are viewed as long-delayed justice with the prisoners often regarded as symbols of resistance against Israeli occupation.The two sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, but it has so far largely held.Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after its October 7 attack, the deadliest in the country’s history, and has made bringing back all hostages seized that day one of its war objectives.The attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Israel’s retaliation in Gaza killed more than 48,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the United Nations deems credible.- Bibas family funeral -In Israel, thousands of mourners gathered for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons Kfir and Ariel.Israel’s national anthem was played as the black vehicle convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.”I think if I stop to think about it for more than a split second, I feel so sickened, so sickened,” said Simi Polonasky, 38, who travelled from Miami to support hostage families.”It’s not a regular situation: if you’re not feeling numb, you’re feeling so shattered and broken that it almost feels hard to continue,” she told AFP, starting to weep as she spoke.Their burial was set to take place at a private ceremony later.”The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7,” said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP.”The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood,” she added.

Thousands mourn Bibas family, symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal

Thousands of mourners, carrying flags and orange balloons, joined the funeral procession Wednesday for Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity and had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her children — Kfir and Ariel — were returned to Israel last week by Hamas as part of the ongoing ceasefire that has halted the more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.Israel’s national anthem was sang in hushed tones as the black vehicle convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.Thousands of people lined the route to Zohar, near kibbutz Nir Oz, where the Bibas family lived before their abduction by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023.Their burial was set to take place at a private ceremony in Zohar later.”The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7,” said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP.”The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood,” she added.Mourners, many struggling to hold back tears, held banners and signs reading “sorry” along the convoy’s route in Rishon LeZion.”I think if I stop to think about it for more than a split second, I feel so sickened, so sickened,” said Simi Polonasky, 38, who travelled from Miami to support hostage families.”It’s not a regular situation: if you’re not feeling numb, you’re feeling so shattered and broken that it almost feels hard to continue,” she told AFP, starting to weep as she spoke.Dozens of people lit candles at the roadside.”We’re here to give a hug and receive a hug, to be strengthened and to give as much strength as possible,” said Mottel Gestetner, 41, who travelled from Australia.”The Bibas family has got into all of us, in the heart,” said Aviv Nahman, 22, who was visibly emotional while talking to AFP.”I have a sister and nephews the exact same ages, so I felt an obligation to be here today,” she added.Speaking of the Palestinian militants who seized the Bibas family on their unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Nahman said: “I wanted to believe there is something human in them after all, but I guess you cannot expect something more from them”.- ‘Broken country’ -Shiri Bibas’ husband, Yarden Bibas, was also abducted but was released alive earlier this month in a hostage-prisoner exchange with Palestinian militant group Hamas.”From the window (of the car) today, I see a broken country. We won’t be able to get up or to heal until the last of the hostages is back home. Thank you everyone,” his sister Ofri Bibas said on her Facebook page.The remains of the three Bibas family members were among the first to be returned under the truce deal.The handover sparked anger in Israel when the remains of Shiri Bibas were not initially returned, prompting Hamas to admit a possible “mix-up of bodies” and finally hand over hers.Yarden Bibas and his sister-in-law said in a statement last week that while the funeral would “only be for members of the family and close friends”, they wanted to let “whoever wishes to pay their respects and be a part of this moment to do so”.Crowds of people were lining up along the route from Risho LeZion to Zohar and Nir Oz as the funeral procession heads there.Hamas has long insisted that an Israeli air strike killed Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas early in the war, but an Israeli autopsy said there was no evidence of injuries caused by a bombing.Since their abduction Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel who was then aged four, and Kfir, then only nine months, had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.

Israelis mass for funeral of Bibas hostages killed in Gaza

Thousands of mourners, carrying flags and orange balloons, gathered Wednesday for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity and had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her children — Kfir and Ariel — were returned to Israel last week by Hamas as part of the ongoing ceasefire that has halted the more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.Israel’s national anthem was played as the black vehicle convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.Thousands of people lined the route to kibbutz Nir Oz, where the Bibas family lived before their abduction by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, and where their burial was set to take place later.”I think if I stop to think about it for more than a split second, I feel so sickened, so sickened,” said Simi Polonasky, 38, who travelled from Miami to support hostage families.”It’s not a regular situation: if you’re not feeling numb, you’re feeling so shattered and broken that it almost feels hard to continue,” she told AFP, starting to weep as she spoke. Dozens of people lit candles at the roadside.”We’re here to give a hug and receive a hug, to be strengthened and to give as much strength as possible,” said Mottel Gestetner, 41, who travelled from Australia.Shiri Bibas and her two children were taken from their kibbutz by Palestinian militants during their unprecedented attack on Israel.- ‘Broken country’ -Her husband, Yarden Bibas, was also abducted but was released alive earlier this month in a hostage-prisoner exchange with Palestinian militant group Hamas.”From the window (of the car) today, I see a broken country. We won’t be able to get up or to heal until the last of the hostages is back home. Thank you everyone,” his sister Ofri Bibas said on her Facebook page.The remains of the three Bibas family members were among the first to be returned under the truce deal.The handover sparked anger in Israel when the remains of Shiri Bibas were not initially returned, prompting Hamas to admit a possible “mix-up of bodies” and finally hand over hers.Yarden Bibas and his sister-in-law said in a statement last week that while the funeral would “only be for members of the family and close friends”, they wanted to let “whoever wishes to pay their respects and be a part of this moment to do so”.Crowds of people were expected to line up along the route from Risho LeZion to Nir Oz as the funeral procession heads to the kibbutz.Hamas has long insisted that an Israeli air strike killed Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas early in the war, but an Israeli autopsy said there was no evidence of injuries caused by a bombing.Since their abduction Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel who was then aged four, and Kfir, then only nine months, had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.