Hamas Hands Over Four Bodies Of Israeli Hostages, PM Netanyahu Pledges Revenge

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take revenge on Hamas on Thursday after the group released what he called the bodies of four Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Palestinian militant group attack on October 7, 2023.

Palestinian militants handed over four black coffins in a carefully arranged public show, with dozens of armed Hamas militants and crowds of Palestinians gathering to watch.

Israelis lined up on the road in the rain near the Gaza border to pay their respects as convoys carrying coffins passed.

In Tel Aviv, people gathered, some crying, in the square, opposite Israel's defense headquarters, in what was later known as the Hostage Field.

"Suffering. Pain. No words. Our hearts are shattered into pieces," said President Isaac Herzog, quoted by Reuters on February 21.

Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu vowed to eliminate Hamas in a speech recorded after the hostages' bodies were handed over, saying "four coffins" required Israel to ensure "more than ever" that the October 7 attack would not be repeated.

"The blood of our loved ones screams at us from the ground and forces us to take revenge on the heinous killers, and we will," he said.

Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Chief criticized the handover of the body, saying the march was disgusting and cruel and against international law.

"Based on international law, every handover of bodies must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, which guarantees respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families," he said in a statement.

The handover of four Israeli hostages yesterday was carried out under a gradual ceasefire agreement in Gaza reached last month with mediation between Qatar, Egypt and the US.

The handover of bodies on Thursday will be followed by the repatriation of six hostages who are still alive on Saturday, in exchange for hundreds of other Palestinians, who are thought to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza during the war.

Meanwhile, negotiations for the second phase, which are expected to include the repatriation of about 60 remaining hostages, less than half are believed to be alive, and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip to end the war, is expected to begin in the coming days.