Israel Prepares to Receive Bodies of Four Hostages, Plans to Bring Back Six Living Captives in Ceasefire Deal Progress

Israel is preparing to receive the remains of four hostages from Gaza on Thursday and plans to bring back six surviving captives on Saturday, as reported by an Israeli security official on Monday.
If both exchanges are successful, only four hostages, all believed to be deceased, will remain in Gaza out of the 33 set to be released under the first stage of a ceasefire agreement made last month to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The ceasefire, negotiated with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators, has mostly held up despite occasional disruptions and mutual accusations of breaches, which have at times threatened its stability.
Hamas has accused Israel of blocking the delivery of construction supplies for the thousands of Gazans who are taking shelter in the ruins caused by 15 months of Israeli bombing during the winter. Israel has denied the claims, but Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, confirmed that mobile homes are waiting at the border for distribution.
He noted that Israel will use any available leverage to ensure the return of the 33 hostages under the first phase of the agreement, which involves exchanging Israeli captives for hundreds of Palestinian detainees and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“Israel’s aim is to advance the release of the first-phase hostages, especially the living ones,” he explained in an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
So far, 19 Israeli hostages have been freed, along with five Thai nationals in an unexpected release. Hamas has reported that 25 of the 33 hostages expected to be freed in the first phase are alive.
While the ceasefire deal has been overshadowed by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for the relocation of Palestinians and transforming Gaza into a U.S.-administered waterfront area, efforts have already begun for the second phase of the deal. This will address the return of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
An Israeli team has already visited Cairo, and a high-level delegation has been authorized to go to Qatar to discuss the second phase of the deal.
“We all want to move forward to phase two and secure the release of the hostages. The main issue is under what terms the war will end,” Elkin stated.
The hostages were captured during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel. In retaliation, Israel’s military strikes on Gaza have killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to health officials, destroyed large parts of the territory, and displaced hundreds of thousands.