Latest news with #RedCross-mediated
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'One of the hardest days': Israelis gather for return of hostage bodies
Dozens of flag-waving Israelis gathered under a stormy sky Thursday lining the route of a convoy bringing home the bodies of four deceased hostages handed over by Hamas in Gaza. The Palestinian militants had handed over black coffins they said contained the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two young boys, Kfir and Ariel -- who became symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war began. The Red Cross-mediated handover, which Hamas said also included the body of elderly captive Oded Lifshitz, took place at a former cemetery in the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis. It is the first handover of bodies by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war, and is taking place under a fragile ceasefire that has seen living hostages exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Some 100 Israelis had also gathered at the Tel Aviv plaza dubbed Hostages Square -- site of regular protests for the release of the hostages. "This is one of the hardest days, I think, since October 7," said museum manager Tania Coen Uzzielli, 59, who had gathered in the square with around 100 others. "I think the feeling of personal guilt is something each of us carries -- that maybe we could have done more, that maybe we didn't do enough to prevent this tragedy." Large screens in the square showed images of the Bibas family and Lifshitz, while orange balloons symbolised the red hair of the two Bibas children, who were aged four and nine months at the time of their capture. The family became national symbols of the despair that has gripped the nation since the Hamas attack and hostage takings. Footage of their abduction, filmed and broadcast by Hamas during its attack, showed them being seized from their home near the Gaza border. Yarden Bibas, the boys' father and Shiri's husband, was abducted separately and released in a hostage-prisoner exchange on February 1. While their deaths have largely been accepted as fact abroad since Hamas said an Israeli air strike killed them early in the war, Israel had never confirmed. "There are no other words, I am heart broken," said Sharon Gazit, 60, a Tel Aviv resident who had also gathered in Hostages Square. - 'Ask for forgiveness' - Israel confirmed the convoy carrying the coffins had reached its territory but refrained from identifying the dead hostages. The bodies were to be taken from Kissufim in southern Israel to an institute of forensic medicine in Tel Aviv for identification. President Isaac Herzog said "the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters". "On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely", he said in a statement. Hundreds of Gazans had gathered in Khan Yunis to witness the handover. Large numbers of armed men in military fatigues and Hamas headbands stood near the stage for the ceremony, which was carefully choreographed like previous handovers of live hostages. Each coffin bore a small photograph of the deceased. Under the first phase of the ceasefire which took effect on January 19, militants have so far freed 19 living Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. Another six living hostages are to be released on Saturday while four more bodies are to be handed over next week. Hamas and its allies took 251 people hostage during their attack. Prior to Thursday's handover, there were 70 hostages in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead. bur-acc/jd/kir
Observer
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Hamas set to hand over bodies of four Israeli hostages
Hamas is set to hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including those of the Bibas family, who have become symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war began. The transfer of the bodies is the first by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, and is taking place under a fragile ceasefire that has seen living hostages exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The return of the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her two young boys -- Kfir and Ariel -- and a fourth captive, Oded Lifshitz, 83 at the time of his capture, would take place in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Ahead of the transfer hundreds of people gathered around a sandy lot formerly used as a cemetery. A fence had been erected to keep onlookers away from the immediate area where the handover to the Red Cross was to occur. The repatriation of their bodies is part of the first six-week phase of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza. Under the ceasefire's first phase, 19 Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners in a series of Red Cross-mediated swaps. Of the remaining 14 Gaza hostages eligible for release under phase one, Israel says eight are dead.
Middle East Eye
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Hamas set to hand over bodies of four Israeli captives
Hamas is due to hand over the bodies of four captives to the ICRC in less than an hour. The transfer of the bodies is the first such handover of remains by Hamas since the beginning of the war. The group said the return of the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her two young boys -Kfir and Ariel- and a fourth captive, Oded Lifshitz, will take place in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. A spokesman for Hamas said all four were killed in Israeli air attacks. Under the ceasefire's first phase, 19 Israeli captives have been released by Hamas so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners in a series of Red Cross-mediated swaps.
Khaleej Times
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Bodies of 4 Israeli hostages to be handed over by Hamas
Hamas is set to hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including those of the Bibas family, who have become symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war began. Hamas is currently displaying four coffins containing bodies of hostages on a stage in Gaza stage before handover them over to Israel, as per an AFP journalist. The transfer of the bodies is the first by Hamas since its October 7, 2023, and is taking place under a fragile ceasefire that has seen living hostages exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The return of the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her two young boys — Kfir and Ariel — and a fourth captive, Oded Lifshitz, 83 at the time of his capture, would take place in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Ahead of the transfer, hundreds of people gathered around a sandy lot formerly used as a cemetery. A fence had been erected to keep onlookers away from the immediate area where the handover to the Red Cross was to occur. Armed men in military fatigues and wearing Hamas headbands were ubiquitous, standing near a stage where a carefully choreographed ceremony had been planned — as for previous transfers of hostages during the truce. Footage of the family's abduction, filmed and broadcast by Hamas during their attack, showed the mother and her sons Ariel, then four, and Kfir, just nine months old, being seized from their home near the Gaza border. Yarden Bibas, the boys' father and Shiri's husband, was abducted separately that day and released from the Gaza Strip in a previous hostage-prisoner exchange on February 1. The repatriation of their bodies is part of the first six-week phase of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday would be "a very difficult day for the State of Israel — a heartbreaking day, a day of grief". Under the ceasefire's first phase, 19 Israeli hostages have been released by militants so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners in a series of Red Cross-mediated swaps. Of the remaining 14 Gaza hostages eligible for release under phase one, Israel says eight are dead. The Bibas family members have become national symbols of the despair that has gripped the nation since the Hamas attack. While their deaths are largely accepted as fact abroad after Hamas said an Israeli air strike killed them early in the war, Israel has never confirmed the claim and many remain unconvinced — including the Bibas family. Late on Wednesday, the Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it had been informed about the "heart-shattering" news of the deaths of the three Bibas family members. The Bibas family said it would wait for a confirmation from official channels. "Should we receive devastating news, it must come through the proper official channels after all identification procedures are completed," it said in a statement late Wednesday. Israeli authorities have not officially named any of those to be returned, but Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday that it had received a list of the hostages whose bodies were to be handed over and that the families had been informed. The national forensic medicine institute in Tel Aviv has mobilised 10 doctors to expedite the identification process, public broadcaster Kan reported. Single swap Israel and Hamas announced a deal earlier this week for the return of the remains of eight hostages in two groups this week and next, as well as the release of the last six living Israeli captives on Saturday. The hostages forum named the six as Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu. The ceasefire in Gaza has held despite accusations of violations on both sides as well as the strain placed on it by US President Donald Trump's widely condemned plan to take control of rubble-strewn Gaza and relocate its population of more than two million Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday that talks would begin "this week" on the truce's second phase, which is expected to lay out a more permanent end to the war. Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Wednesday that Hamas was ready to free all remaining hostages held in Gaza in a single swap during phase two. He did not clarify how many hostages were currently being held by Hamas or other militant groups. Hamas and its allies took 251 people hostage during their attack, of whom 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 48,297 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas set to hand over Israel bodies of four Gaza hostages
Hamas is due to hand over the bodies of four hostages Thursday, including those of the Bibas family, who have become symbols of the hostage crisis that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war broke out. The transfer of the bodies is the first such handover of remains by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. The Palestinian militant group said the return of the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her two young boys —- Kfir and Ariel -— and a fourth captive, Oded Lifshitz, would take place in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Footage of their abduction, filmed and broadcast by Hamas militants during their attack on Israel, showed the mother and her sons Ariel, then four, and Kfir, just nine months old, being seized from their home near the Gaza border. Yarden Bibas, the boys' father and Shiri's husband, was abducted separately on October 7, 2023 and was released from the Gaza Strip in a previous hostage-prisoner exchange on February 1. The repatriation of their bodies is part of the first phase of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Thursday would be "a very difficult day for the State of Israel -— a heartbreaking day, a day of grief". Under the ceasefire's first phase, 19 Israeli hostages have been released by militants so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners in a series of Red Cross-mediated swaps. Of the remaining 14 Gaza hostages eligible for release under phase one, Israel says eight are dead. The Bibas family members have become national symbols of the hostage ordeal, encapsulating the despair that has gripped the nation since the Hamas attack. While their deaths are largely accepted as fact abroad after Hamas said they were killed in an Israeli air strike early in the war, Israel has never confirmed the claim and many remain unconvinced -- including the Bibas family. Late on Wednesday, the Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it had been informed about the "heart-shattering" news of the deaths of the three Bibas family members. The Bibas family said it would wait for a confirmation from official channels. "Should we receive devastating news, it must come through the proper official channels after all identification procedures are completed," it said in a statement late Wednesday. Israeli authorities have not officially named any of those to be returned, but Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday that it had received a list of the hostages whose bodies were to be handed over and that the families had been informed. The national forensic medicine institute in Tel Aviv has mobilised 10 doctors to expedite the identification process, public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday. - Single swap - Israel and Hamas announced a deal earlier this week for the return of the remains of eight hostages in two groups this week and next, as well as the release of six living Israeli captives on Saturday. The hostages forum named the six as Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu. The ceasefire in Gaza has held despite accusations of violations on both sides. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday that talks would begin "this week" on the second phase, which is expected to lay out a more permanent end to the war. Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Wednesday that Hamas was ready to free all remaining hostages held in Gaza in a single swap during phase two. He did not clarify how many hostages were currently being held by Hamas or other militant groups. Hamas and its allies took 251 people hostage during the attack, of whom 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,297 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable. acc-jd/kir/rsc
