Hamas has signaled its readiness to initiate talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire after an overnight exchange that saw the return of four Israeli hostage bodies in exchange for 620 Palestinian detainees. The deal, marking the final exchange of the six-week first phase that began on January 19, comes amid escalating tensions over the treatment of hostages.
Israel reported on Thursday morning that three of the hostages whose bodies were delivered had been murdered in captivity, and the fourth was killed on the day of the October 2023 Hamas raid that sparked the conflict. While Hamas has denied killing hostages—claiming some died from Israeli bombardment—there was no immediate response to the allegations this time.
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Egyptian mediators secured the handover of the four bodies, identified by President Isaac Herzog as Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur, all abducted from kibbutz homes near Gaza during the October 7 attack. The final handover, which avoided the previously staged ceremonies featuring living hostages and hostages’ remains, comes after Israel had refused to release Palestinian prisoners on Saturday due to Hamas’ provocative displays.
Under the current ceasefire deal, which involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages in total in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees and the withdrawal of some Israeli troops from Gaza, negotiations on the second phase remain uncertain. With 54 hostages still held in Gaza—fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive—the outcome of the next stage of the truce will be critical. Meanwhile, Israel continues to demand that its military maintain its presence in key areas such as the Philadelphi Corridor, with troop withdrawals from the Gaza-Egypt border scheduled to begin on Saturday.
As part of the overnight exchange, the Palestinians released include 445 men and 24 women and minors detained in Gaza, along with 151 prisoners serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis, according to a Hamas source. One bus transporting detainees left Israel’s Ofer prison in the West Bank and arrived in Ramallah, where cheering crowds greeted the freed prisoners. Additionally, nearly 100 more Palestinian prisoners were handed over to Egypt, where they will remain until another country agrees to accept them.