 "Hamas, Israel brace for first phase's final hostage release; next stage truce still uncertain")
After a brief rift over the body of one of the hostages, Israel and Hamas are bracing for yet another tensed hostage-prisoner exchange. The swap is part of the ceasefire deal both sides agreed on earlier. The exchange is scheduled to take place on Saturday and will happen after Israel claimed that Hamas “brutally murdered” two child hostages with their “ bare hands ”.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday claimed that the Palestinian group murdered children Ariel and Kfir Bibas “with their bare hands”. The Israeli military noted that the forensic examination suggested that both the children were killed just weeks after their kidnapping during Hamas’s October 7 surprise attack.
“Their father, [the recently released hostage] Yarden Bibas, looked me in the eyes and asked that the whole world know and be shocked by the way they murdered his children,” the military spokesperson R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a video address. Meanwhile, Hamas has claimed earlier that the two boys and their mothers were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023.
After a lot of back and forth, the family of the hostage named Shiri Bibas confirmed on Saturday that her remains were returned to Israel a day after the mix-up.
Hamas prepares for the final hostage exchange in the first phase of the ceasefire
On Friday, Hamas released the names of the six living hostages it plans to release today under the terms of the ceasefire. The hostages who are expected to be released in the recent exchange include, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed. Hamas noted that the six hostages are the last of those to be returned under the first phase who are alive.
Meanwhile, Israel confirmed receiving the list and the families of the six were already notified by Israeli officials on Tuesday. In return, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian security prisoners from jails on Saturday as part of the ongoing hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Soon after Hamas’ announcement, on Friday, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, said he had ordered the country’s military to ramp up its operations in the occupied West Bank after a series of bus explosions near Tel Aviv the previous day. It is pertinent to note that Israel’s recent operation in the West Bank started soon after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was agreed upon.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHopes for a second phase of the ceasefire deal?
In the second phase of the deal, Hamas is supposed to hand over all the remaining hostages in Gaza and Israel on the other hand is supposed to end the war. However, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long resisted the idea of ending the war since much of his far-right coalition government opposes such a step if it leaves Hamas as a significant force inside the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the third phase of the deal entails a reconstruction plan for Gaza and future governance. However, it is still unclear whether these phases would play out. “It was Israel’s responsibility and obligation to bring them back alive,” said Shiri’s sister-in-law, Ofri Bibas, in a statement released on behalf of the family through the Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we did not receive an apology from you in this painful moment. Our painful journey, which has already lasted 16 months, is not over. We are still waiting for Shiri … For Ariel and Kfir’s sake, and for Yarden’s sake, we are not seeking revenge right now. We are asking for Shiri. Their cruelty only emphasises the urgent need to bring Shiri back to us, save the lives of the living hostages and return all the fallen for burial," she added.
With inputs from agencies.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
