Hamas is set to release the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages on Wednesday night local time without the controversial official rituals held throughout the exchange.
According to Hamas' military division, the bodies of hostages Tisahi Idan, Ohad Yaharomi, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mantour are scheduled to be released by 11pm local time.
“Handovers are done without public presence to prevent occupations from finding pretexts for delays or obstruction,” the group said in a statement.
Israel warned the group to end public rituals that marked each hostage exchange during the turbulent ceasefire, and denounced it as propaganda violating the rights of the dead.
Hamas rituals won international backlash last Thursday when terrorist groups paraded around the cos of Silvivas, her toddlers Ariel, Kfir, and oded Lifshitz.
The Jewish state then halted the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners until Hamas agreed to stop the “humiliation ritual.”
Since then, authorities have informed the family of looming hostages, and the Aidan family wants to let their loved ones go home.
“We are all still waiting for the long-awaited certainty. We can only get it after he returns to Israel. All necessary checks will be made by state-sanctioned agencies and the Hostages and Missing Family Forum said in a statement, while maintaining the privacy of Tsahhi and his family.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed the release of Jahlomi, a French-Israel citizen.
“In the pain and anguish of these interrupted times, the nation stands by their side,” Macron writes to X.
The hostage exchange will be with the help of Egyptian officials who receive bodies by the southern border before transferring to Israeli officers. The Israeli era is reported.
Hamas claims that the exchange will occur “simultaneously,” but Israeli officials argue that Palestinian prisoners will only be released after they have been taken hostages.
Tonight's swap marks the final exchange of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, in which a total of 33 hostages were released along with five Thai citizens.
It remains to be seen whether Israel and Hamas will negotiate for a second phase of the deal or extend the first phase, which will officially close on March 2nd.
If the second phase passed, Hamas agreed to release all remaining hostages of life, including Israeli America's Edan Alexander, at once.
With post wire
