Ready To Negotiate The Second Phase Of Ceasefire, Hamas Will Release 6 Hostages And Return 4 Bodies

Khalil al-Hayya. S(ource: IRNA)

JAKARTA - Hamas is ready to start negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire, as well as release six hostages and repatriate four Israeli bodies this week, a senior Palestinian militant group official said.

Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said on Tuesday it was ready to start negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, as well as release six surviving hostages based on the first phase of the deal and repatriate the bodies of four hostages this week, quoted from IRNA February 19.

Quoted from CNN, Hamas will repatriate the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including the two youngest hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas.

On Saturday, Hamas will release six surviving hostages, not three as previously thought.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached during negotiations in Cairo for "four killed hostages" to be handed over on Thursday and "six surviving hostages" to be released on Saturday.

He added, "the other four killed hostages are expected to be handed over to Israel next week."

In response, Israel is expected to release Palestinian prisoners instead of Israelis, as in previous weeks.

Kfir and Ariel Bibas were nine months and four years old when they were kidnapped in the Palestinian militant group attack in October 2023.

Israel has not confirmed their death and has not commented on Hamas' announcement.

Hamas claimed in November 2023, Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed with their mother in Israeli airstrikes, and released a video of their father Yarden, who was also held hostage, in which he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their death.

An Israeli military spokesman at the time called the video a "psychological terror", but the military had informed their relatives may not be alive, according to a spokesman for the Hostage Forum and the Missing Family.

Hamas later released Yarden Bibas, alive, on February 1.

Al-Hayya explained that Hamas would cooperate with mediators, especially Qatar and Egypt, to ensure that the first phase of the ceasefire agreement was carried out thoroughly.

He stressed that Hamas had demonstrated its commitment to the agreement, blaming the Israeli regime for delaying and avoiding its obligations based on the agreement, particularly those related to humanitarian aid deliveries.

It is known that thirty-three Israeli prisoners will be released under a first-stage ceasefire agreement, with 19 people released so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians.

Of the remaining 14 people, eight were killed, according to Israeli officials.

The three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced on January 15 and took effect on January 19.

The first phase of the ceasefire will officially end on March 1, and Israel has postponed negotiations at the next stage, which should have started 16 days after the agreement took effect on January 19.

The second phase of the ceasefire calls for a permanent end to the war in Gaza.