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| Photo|AFP |
This release came amid heightened emotions in Israel, particularly after the family of Shiri Bibas announced they had received her remains, highlighting the deep pain experienced by families of hostages since the onset of the Gaza conflict.
The unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, led to the abduction of numerous individuals, igniting over 15 months of turmoil in the region.
In Rafah, southern Gaza, armed fighters brought Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu to a stage, where Shoham addressed the crowd before they were handed over to the Red Cross for transport back to Israel, as confirmed by military sources.
In Tel Aviv, hundreds gathered at ‘Hostages Square,’ expressing their emotions with applause and tears while watching the release unfold on screen.
Additionally, four more hostages were expected to be released later that day in a separate exchange, with their names published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
This release is part of a ceasefire agreement initiated on January 19, which is set to conclude in early March, with plans for further releases ' confirmed' by a Hamas source.
Militants at both release sites performed a familiar ceremony, erecting stages adorned with banners that celebrated their cause and honored deceased fighters. The Red Cross has consistently urged that these handovers be carried out with respect and dignity.
In Rafah, under a chilling rain, Hamas fighters showcased their strength, brandishing automatic weapons and rocket launchers while Palestinian nationalistic music filled the air. The iconic green flags of Hamas were prominently displayed against the backdrop of war-torn buildings.
Israel was preparing to release 602 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ongoing exchange, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. A spokesperson indicated that the majority were Gazans detained since the onset of the conflict, with some facing deportation beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories, many of whom were serving lengthy sentences.
To date, the ceasefire has facilitated the release of 21 living Israeli hostages in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. The recent release of hostages followed the initial transfer of deceased individuals on Thursday. Although Hamas initially claimed that the remains of Shiri Bibas were included, Israeli authorities later confirmed they were not, sparking widespread sorrow and outrage. Hamas subsequently acknowledged the potential for a mix-up, attributing the confusion to Israeli airstrikes.
The Red Cross verified the transfer of additional remains on Friday but withheld details about their identities. The Bibas family expressed their heartbreak, stating, “After the identification process at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, this morning we received the news we feared the most. Our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned home to her sons, husband, sister, and all her family to rest.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under increasing domestic scrutiny regarding his management of the ongoing war and hostage crisis, pledged on Friday to ensure that Hamas faces severe consequences for their brutal breach of the agreement.
On February 20, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed that an examination of the remains confirmed that Palestinian militants had killed Bibas’s sons, Ariel and Kfir, “with their bare hands” in November 2023, despite Hamas's claims that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for their deaths.
Ofri Bibas, Shiri’s sister-in-law, expressed that the family is not currently seeking revenge but criticized Netanyahu, emphasizing that there would be “no forgiveness” for his failure to protect the mother and her young children.
Among the four bodies returned on February 20 was that of 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Following the October 7 attack that ignited the conflict, Hamas and its allies took 251 hostages, with 65 still in Gaza, including 35 that the Israeli military reports are deceased.
The attack has resulted in 1,215 fatalities in Israel, predominantly among civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.