The bodies of an Israeli mother and her two children have been handed over by Hamas.
Shiri Bibas, four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir were kidnapped from a kibbutz during the October 2023 terror attack.
The children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was released on 1 February as part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
Live updates – Bodies of Israeli hostages being released by Hamas
The body of journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted, was also expected to be handed over.
Hamas has claimed they were all killed in Israeli airstrikes near the start of the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “a very difficult day for the state of Israel. An upsetting day, a day of grief”.
The Bibas family has become a powerful symbol of the 251 Israelis kidnapped on 7 October – not least because Kfir was the youngest taken.
The Red Cross is receiving the bodies from masked Hamas members in Khan Younis
The bodies were handed to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Thursday morning. They will later undergo DNA tests in Tel Aviv to verify their identity.
Coffins were carried to Red Cross vehicles as masked members of Hamas and other factions gathered to watch.
Israel previously said it was extremely concerned about the condition of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir but has never confirmed their deaths.
They were abducted at Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of a number of communities overrun by Hamas terrorists on the day of the surprise attack.
Video showed Shiri Bibas appearing terrified as she cradled her boys while they were taken into Gaza.
Yarden Bibas was released earlier this month. Pic: Reuters
The family said this week their “journey is not over” until they receive confirmation of what happened to Shiri and the boys.
Meanwhile six living hostages, the final due to be freed under the first phase of the Gaza truce deal, will also be released on Saturday, according to Hamas.
Israelis who survived being kidnapped – and more than a year of war – have been released in small groups since the first six-week phase began last month.
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Israeli hostage hugs wife
Three more – Alexander Troufanov, Sagui Dekel Chen and Iair Horn – were freed last weekend.
The swap included 369 Palestinians, the most released up until now, and 19 Israeli hostages have been returned so far in the current phase – which ends at the start of March.
The deal has provided a vital pause in the fighting that’s devastated Gaza and left tens of thousands dead.
Israel said negotiations on the second phase of the deal would “happen this week”.
Foreign minister Gideon Saar said it would involve the country’s remaining hostages being exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.
