Hamas transfers bodies of four Israeli hostages to Red Cross

Hamas on Thursday transferred the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including three members of the Bibas family, to the Red Cross for repatriation to Israel as part of the ceasefire deal.The two small boys, their mother, and the elderly man have come to symbolise the plight of those taken hostage. So far, 24 hostages have been freed and 1,135 Palestinians have been released, though no prisoners were released in exchange for the bodies in Hamas’s Thursday handover. The IDF salutes the deceased hostages as they return home after over 500 days in the hands of terrorists.

The IDF salutes the deceased hostages as they return home after over 500 days in the hands of terrorists. pic.twitter.com/oYJTIJUde4

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 20, 2025

Under the first phase of the ceasefire deal that went into force last month, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Six more living hostages are expected to be released on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Hamas abducted 2501 people in its October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. More than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the conflict that ensued.
"Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families", UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock blasts Hamas for staging a ceremony with the remains of the slain hostages before handing them over. “Four coffins, paraded on a stage – images that are almost unbearable,” she writes on X. “The hostage families are exposed to the limitless terror of Hamas until the end.”