In a somber exchange, Hamas has handed over the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, which transported the bodies to Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Thursday night that they had received the coffins of the four hostages, and the process of identifying the remains will now begin.
In return, Israel is set to release 602 Palestinian prisoners.
On Wednesday night, buses carrying prisoners from Ofer prison first arrived in Ramallah in the West Bank, followed by buses carrying Palestinian prisoners arriving in Gaza.
This marks the seventh exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and Hamas since the war began in October 2023.