(Jewish Link Staff and combined sources) Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that an agreement was reached with Hamas on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to secure the return of the remaining four fallen hostages as part of phase one of the ceasefire without the theatrics that had become a disturbing part of previous hostage releases and last week’s return of fallen hostages. In return, Israel agreed to release some 600 Palestinian terrorists once the hostages’ bodies were identified by Israeli officials.
Israel clarified that the names of the hostages being returned would only be confirmed after the Israeli authorities identified them. At press time, three families had confirmed that their loved ones’ bodies are among the four: Shlomo Mansour, Tzachi Idan and Itzhak Elgarat.
The handover was scheduled to take place at 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday. According to the Jerusalem Post, at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time, Red Cross vehicles were en route to the meeting point to receive the hostages’ bodies. At approximately 12:40 a.m. on Thursday, it was reported that the four hostages’ bodies had been handed over to the Red Cross. Israeli media sources reported that Red Cross vehicles then headed to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where forensic medicine teams and Israeli authorities were waiting. According to Times of Israel, Israel was expected to carry out its forensic identification of the bodies near the border to determine whether Hamas had returned the hostages as required, a prerequisite for Israel releasing over 600 Palestinian prisoners.
At 2 a.m., Times of Israel reported that the Red Cross had handed over to the IDF coffins holding what Hamas said are the bodies of four murdered Israeli hostages, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The bodies were handed over with “Egyptian mediation” at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel then began its initial forensic investigation. At press time, the families of the four hostages were being updated constantly and were to receive official notifications once identifications were made.
