Hamas releases two hostages after Israel’s reproaches in the delivery of the wrong mortal remains of a woman

The hostages Abera Mengistu, Ethiopian Israeli who had been kidnapped by Hamas, and such shoelourac taken from Kibutz Beeri for more than a decade in October 2023, were released and delivered this Saturday to Red Cross personnel in Rafah, south of Gaza, As broadcast live media.

Surrounded by dozens of armed militiamen of Hamas and in a less populous exchange than in previous days, partly due to rainy time in the strip, the two Israelis were uploaded to a stand where they made statements, Hamas gave them a document and now already They are on their way to dividing with Israel. The Islamist group is expected to release the other four hostages throughout the day.

The release of the kidnapped has taken place despite tensions and reproaches between Hamas and Israel for the delivery of mortal remains that did not correspond to an Israeli hostage. On Thursday, the Islamists delivered the first four bodies of kidnapped, identified as Shiri Bibas, their two children of 5 and 2 years, and Oded Lifshitz. However, Israel denounced that the body that supposedly belonged to Shiri was not his. The forensic did confirm the identity of the two children of the Bibas family, Ariel and Kfir, who according to the Israeli army, were “brutally murdered during their captivity.”

“During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas and no other hostage was found. It is an anonymous and unidentified body, ”said the army in a statement on Friday.

For its part, the Islamist group admitted that there is “the possibility of an error or overlap in the bodies”, after the place where the Bibas family was next to other Palestinians was white of an Israeli bombing. Hamas had already said that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas had died from Israel’s attacks, although the Hebrew country had not been able to confirm it and the relatives had hoped that they could continue alive. The father of the little ones, Yarden Bibas, was released in early February.

After Israel denounced that Shiri’s remains are not of the woman, Hamas said in a statement that “he will examine the accusations very seriously and announce the results clearly.” At the same time, he requested the return of the body of the Palestinian woman that has supposedly been delivered by error.

However, Hamas reaffirmed his “seriousness and full commitment to all obligations” of the Alto El Fuego with Israel on Friday, within the framework of which he will deliver the remains of four other hostages next Thursday. “We have no interest in not fulfilling or conserving any of the bodies,” the group said.

This Friday night, finally, the Israeli army said he was studying the information about the alleged delivery to the Red Cross of the Hosta Shiri Bibas body. “Army representatives are in contact with the family,” they said.

Liberation of the 33 hostages agreed

With the release this Saturday of the six hostages, Hamas has released all those kidnapped alive who were included in the first phase of the agreement with Israel. In total, there were 33 hostages, eight of which are dead. In return, Israel promised to release some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The first phase of the Alto El Fuego agreement, lasting Hostages, more than 60. All were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during Hamas’s assault in southern Israel, during which some 1,200 people were also killed. Then, Israel launched a war of punishment against Gaza, which has left more than 48,000 dead, according to local authorities, although several scientific studies raise that figure to tens of thousands more.

Egypt and Qatar, main mediators between Israel and Hamas, have juggled to ensure that the first phase comes to an end, amid tensions and threats between the two enemies. But Cairo and Doha have not yet begun negotiations for the application of the second phase of the pact, which should have started in early February. The indirect conversations could start next week, but if on March 1 an agreement has not been reached for the application of the second phase, the high fire could collapse.