Four dead Israeli captives were alive but Tel Aviv army killed them — Hamas

Qassam Brigades said that the four Israeli hostages, whose bodies are to be handed over Thursday, were alive when captured, but the Israeli army killed them by deliberately bombing detention sites during the genocide in Gaza.

"As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the bodies of the Bibas family (three members) and the prisoner Oded Lifshitz will be handed over on Thursday,” Qassam spokesperson Abu Obaida said in a statement.

Qassam announced Nov. 29, 2023, that three detainees from the Bibas family — Shiri Silverman Bibas, Kfir Bibas and Ariel Bibas — had been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that Israel received a list of hostages whose bodies are set to be handed over from Gaza on Thursday as part of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

The statement did not disclose the names, but Israeli media, including the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, reported that the individuals are Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir, 9, and Ariel, 4, in addition to Oded Lifshitz, 85.

“It has been agreed to release the remaining six living Israeli captives on Saturday under the first phase” of the Gaza deal, Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya said in a recorded speech Tuesday.

He named Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu among the six set for release.

Hamas will return more hostages

Hayya said Hamas will continue to hand over more bodies of Israeli captives next week as agreed under the first phase of the Gaza deal.

Next week’s releases will bring the number of Israeli hostages released by Hamas under the first phase of the Gaza deal to 33 captives, including 25 living and eight bodies.

A total of 1,135 Palestinian prisoners have been freed from Israeli prisons. Israel is scheduled to release 502 additional prisoners this week.

The Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement took effect Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.