Israel Receives Names Of Hostage Bodies To Be Returned Today, Immediately Identified

Israel hostage release. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israel has confirmed that it has received the names of the four hostages who will be repatriated from the Gaza Strip this Thursday.

Benjamin Netanyahu's Office of Prime Minister (PMO) made the announcement on Wednesday, without naming, but the family has been notified.

"Tomorrow (today) will be a very difficult day for the country of Israel. A sad day, a day of grief. We are bringing home our four beloved hostages, who have died. We are embracing the family, and the hearts of the entire nation are broken. My heart is broken," PM Netanyahu said in a separate video statement, quoted from The Times of Israel February 20.

Israeli officials have asked the media not to publish the name.

The four bodies will be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic agency for identification. Only then will the details be released to the public.

Later, PMO confirmed Israel had received a list of hostages killed and will be repatriated tomorrow.

The four hostages are Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfri Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. They said their family had been notified.

As previously reported, Palestinian militant group Hamas is ready to start negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire with Israel. It was marked by the repatriation of the four hostages' bodies on Thursday and the release of six hostages at the weekend.

On Saturday, Hamas will release six surviving hostages: Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.

Yesterday, a "senior source familiar with the details" released a statement claiming that the plan to release the four hostages who died tomorrow and six hostages who were still alive on Saturday was the direct result of changes to the Israeli negotiating team.

"The agreement was reached to release six hostages alive at one time, along with the return of the four hostages who died tomorrow (today), is the result of the prime minister's decision to change the composition of the negotiating team," said the senior source.

"The new team changed the dynamics and led the negotiations instead of giving concessions," the statement said.

"This also stops the practice of routine briefings and biases against prime ministers and political echelons, which only causes Hamas to strengthen its position and increase demands," the statement added.

Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, longtime confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will lead phase two talks of the deal to release hostages with Hamas, according to a Hebrew media report yesterday.

Previously, Mossad Chief David Barnea had led the previous round. PM Netanyahu ruled out Barnea, head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar and head of IDF (Israel Defense Forces) hostage-taking Nitzan Alon, who had argued with him during negotiations.

Security chiefs have long felt the deal could and should have been reached earlier, but political considerations in Israel hindered these efforts.