Hamas Announces Plan to Release Four Hostages Including Members of the Bibas Family

Reuters reported that Hamas will release the bodies of four hostages on Thursday, including the Bibas children Kfir and Ariel. The two youngest individuals held by the Palestinian armed group were just nine months old and four years old when they were kidnapped during a 7 October 2023 attack.

Hamas alleges that Shiri Bibas, along with her young sons Kfir and Ariel, was killed in an Israeli bombardment. Israel has not confirmed this claim. The children’s father Yarden was released earlier this month by Hamas.

According to Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’ negotiator, the group plans to release six living hostages on Saturday – double their original plan. In exchange, Israel will free all women and those under 19 who have been arrested since last October and allow some rubble-clearing equipment into Gaza through Egypt.

Hamas stated in November that Bibas family members were killed in an Israeli air strike but did not provide any evidence to support this claim. The Israeli military has expressed grave concerns for the hostages’ safety, and officials said deceased individuals would be identified in Israel before being named.

The Bibas family issued a statement acknowledging Hamas’ announcement about releasing their loved ones on Thursday as part of the hostage release phase but emphasized that they have not received official confirmation. “Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over,” the statement read.

Hamas has identified two Israeli hostages to be released on Saturday – Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who were seized in 2014 and 2015 after crossing into Gaza. The Israeli government stated that both individuals had suffered from mental health issues at the time.

Several families of hostages expressed hope their loved ones would be among those being released on Saturday. These include Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, and Tal Shoam – all taken during a Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 people in October.

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement saw Hamas release 33 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. Talks to progress to the second phase of the deal were planned but have not yet started.

Currently, there are a total of 73 hostages held by Hamas – including Israeli soldiers and civilians who are both dead and alive. The conflict between Israel and Gaza has claimed thousands of lives since it erupted in October 2023.