Israeli prime minister’s office says they have received bodies of four dead hostages from Red Cross

Israel's prime minister's office said authorities have received the bodies of four hostages early today, days before the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will end.

An Israeli security official confirmed that Hamas handed the bodies to the Red Cross.

Israel said the caskets were delivered with the help of Egyptian mediators through an Israeli crossing and an identification process has begun.

At around the same time, a Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison.

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Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners leaves Israel's Ofer prison

A Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison early today.

Crowds of cheering families, friends and supporters of Palestinian prisoners were gathered in Beitunia jostling for a glimpse of the bus that was on its way.

Hundreds of detainees arrested from Gaza, held by Israel on suspicion of militancy after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack without charge for months, were headed back to the Gaza Strip.

They include 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack, according to lists shared by Palestinian officials that did not specify their ages.

Only around 50 Palestinians were being released into the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem in this round.

Dozens sentenced to life over deadly attacks against Israelis will be exiled out of the Palestinian territories, taken to Egypt at least temporarily until other countries accept them.

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Israeli official says Hamas has handed to Red Cross the bodies of four Israelis held hostage in Gaza

An Israeli security official said early today that Hamas has handed to the Red Cross the bodies of four Israelis who were held hostage in Gaza.

The official was speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

At around the same time, a Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison.

Family of an Israeli hostage says his body will be released

The family of a hostage held in Gaza says they have received notification he is dead and is one of the four hostage bodies to be returned by Hamas late yesterday.

Relatives of Tsachi Idan said that he was alive when taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, according to a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the group representing families of the hostages.

"Since Tsachi was kidnapped, we received several signs of life, and in the previous deal last November, Tsachi was alive and expected to be released," wrote the family.

"We are still waiting for the much-needed certainty, which we can only receive after his arrival in Israel and after all necessary examinations are conducted by the authorised state authorities."

Idan was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

His eldest daughter, Maayan, was also killed as militants shot through the door of the saferoom.

Hamas militants broadcast themselves on Facebook live holding the Idan family hostage in their home, as his two younger children pleaded with the militants to let them go.

The family did not specify who informed them Idan was dead, although notifications typically come from the Israeli military.

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Women, children killed as Israel breaks Gaza ceasefire

Israel starts getting ready to release Palestinian prisoners

Preparations are underway to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages.

Israel's prison service said officials were planning to bring detainees to two central prisons, where they would wait until the hostages were released.

Then, upon notification from Israeli authorities, officials from the Red Cross will drive Palestinians to the West Bank and Gaza.

Israeli hostage bodies and Palestinian prisoners will be released late yesterday, the two sides say.

Israel's prime minister confirmed that Hamas would release four hostages' bodies late yesterday and the Prisoners Club, a group that represents current and former Palestinian prisoners, said Israel was expected to release hundreds of prisoners the same night in exchange.

Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the four bodies would be released without a ceremony, in a quieter fashion than previous Hamas releases where captives and bodies were handed over to the Red Cross in highly stage-managed ceremonies.

The Prisoners' Club said Israel would release the Palestinian detainees at 11 pm local time.

Israel is expected to release over 600 prisoners to Gaza and the West Bank after delaying their release last weekend to protest Hamas' public release ceremonies, which Israel said were cruel to the hostages.

Hamas' military arm said it will hand over the bodies of four hostages to Israel on yesterday night, according to Abu Obeida, spokesman of the Qassam Brigades, in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

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