Hamas releases the bodies of four hostages. Here's what it means for the ceasefire

Hamas has returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including nine-month-old Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother, Ariel.

The children, along with their mother, Shiri Bibas, were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza on Thursday as part of a fragile ceasefire agreement that has paused 15 months of war.

The body of 84-year-old journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz was also recovered.

The handover ceremony, conducted in Gaza’s Khan Younis, was marked by a display of four black coffins on a stage, observed by masked members of Hamas and other factions.

Hamas claimed that the Bibas family and their guards were killed in Israeli airstrikes, a statement that Israeli authorities have neither confirmed nor denied.

The Bibas family have long been the most potent symbol in Israel of the attacks of 7 October 2023.

The bodies will be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Jaffa for formal identification – many Israelis lined the route, while others gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.

In a public address, Hamas stated it had “preserved the lives of the occupation prisoners,” providing them with what it could, and “treated them humanely, but their army killed them along with their captors.”

The group further accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to evade responsibility for their deaths. The Israeli government have not commented on the accusations.

The Israeli military said it had brought the coffins of the four hostages into Israel from Gaza. “IDF representatives are accompanying their families at this difficult time,” it said in a statement.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement following the release of the coffins that “the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters”.

This sombre event is set to be followed by the release of six living hostages on Saturday, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, primarily women and minors detained by Israeli forces during the conflict.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire deal brokered in January, Hamas agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, aiming to pave the way for a broader peace process.

As the initial phase of the agreement approaches its early March expiration, mediators – including Qatar, Egypt, and the United Nations – are intensifying efforts to maintain momentum in the negotiations.

The forthcoming second phase aims to establish a permanent ceasefire, facilitate the exchange of remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and ensure a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The final phase envisions the return of all remaining bodies of deceased hostages and the extensive reconstruction of Gaza, a process anticipated to span several years.

Despite the ceasefire holding so far, tensions persist. Hamas previously postponed a scheduled hostage release on 15 February, citing alleged Israeli violations of the agreement – claims which Israel denies.

Complicating the situation, US President Donald Trump has made inflammatory remarks suggesting that Washington should assume control of Gaza and “clean it” of Palestinians, eliciting international condemnation and raising concerns about the sincerity of American support for a diplomatic resolution.

Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said he “greatly appreciates” support from Donald Trump.

Amidst the political manoeuvring, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.

Human rights organizations accuse Israel of obstructing essential aid, including mobile homes, medical supplies, and equipment necessary for rubble removal.

Diplomatic sources told CNN that while entities like the United Nations and Qatar have advocated for the delivery of temporary shelters, these efforts have been thwarted by Israeli restrictions.

Medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders has expressed concern that aid deliveries remain “far below what is needed,” while the World Food Programme has emphasized the necessity for a “massive influx” of food and humanitarian supplies to meet the overwhelming demand.

Plans are underway to double the provision of bread in northern Gaza in the coming days, yet the existing aid pipeline remains insufficient.

Concurrently, violence has escalated in the occupied West Bank, with Israeli forces conducting large-scale operations in Jenin and Tulkarem, resulting in the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.

Between February 11 and 18 alone, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 72 Palestinian fatalities and 57 injuries, including casualties from recently recovered bodies.

In a proposal late Wednesday, Hamas has offered to release all remaining captives in Gaza in exchange for a lasting truce and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

This proposal follows statements from Trump opposing the phased weekly release of captives and advocating for their collective liberation.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al Sisi is heading to Saudi Arabia, according to state television.

It is expected he will discuss a post-war plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, which could counter the proposals put forward by Donald Trump in recent weeks.

As diplomats scramble to put forward plans for a lasting peace, the ceasefire remains tenuously intact, for now.