The remains of the family of an Israeli captive, who was liberated two weeks prior, will be returned on Thursday, as stated by Hamas.
Yarden Bibas was released on 1 February – only to discover that his spouse and two children, aged four years and nine months, had allegedly perished in an airstrike.
Israel has expressed profound concern regarding their situation but has not previously validated their deaths.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya announced on Tuesday that the Bibas family would be among four bodies scheduled for return.
Shiri Bibas along with her four-year-old son Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir were taken hostage by Hamas
According to the organization, six more living hostages, the last to be liberated under the initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, will also be freed on Saturday.
Only three were originally anticipated to be released this weekend.
In the meantime, Israel has indicated that discussions regarding the second phase of the agreement will “take place this week”.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mentioned that this stage would entail the exchange of the remaining Israeli hostages for additional Palestinian prisoners.
“Should we find that there is a productive dialogue with a feasible path toward an agreement, we will extend this timeframe,” Mr. Saar commented.
Survivors of the kidnapping from the attack on 7 October 2023 have gradually been released since the commencement of the first six-week phase last month.
At the weekend, three additional individuals – Alexander Troufanov, Sagui Dekel Chen, and Iair Horn – were set free.
This exchange included 369 Palestinians, the highest number released to date, and thus far, 19 Israeli hostages have been returned in this ongoing phase.
The accord has created a crucial respite in the conflict that has ravaged Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
It has permitted the flow of more food and medical supplies, and some of the millions of displaced Palestinians have managed to return to assess the ruins of their homes and neighborhoods.
The continuation of the truce is not assured, and negotiations for a second phase were expected to start on 2 February.
Finalizing the conditions for the next phase is anticipated to be challenging, as it involves determining who will govern Gaza moving forward.
Mr. Saar informed reporters on Tuesday that a “Hezbollah model” would not be acceptable and that Israel insists on a “complete demilitarization of Gaza”.
He emphasized that merely transferring authority from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority would not be permissible.
“We will not tolerate the presence of Hamas or any other terrorist organization in Gaza,” Mr. Saar stated.
President Trump has proposed a contentious plan for the US to “take control” of Gaza, reconstruct it, and relocate Palestinians – a proposal that has been broadly dismissed by Western nations but endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s foreign minister acknowledged that an alternative plan is being developed by Arab countries.
Additionally, a different Israeli official indicated that mobile homes would soon be sent to Gaza to provide accommodation for some of those displaced.
Hamas has accused Israel of postponing this initiative and has warned of potentially delaying the release of any further hostages.
