Thousands of Israelis lined the streets on Wednesday for the funeral of two young children and their mother who had been kidnapped and killed by Hamas, marking a national day of mourning.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to resume ceasefire, with plans to exchange more hostages for bodies of those killed. Last week, the bodies of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his 4-year-old brother Ariel Bibas were handed over by Hamas, who claimed they died in an airstrike. However, Israeli forensic reports revealed that the children were murdered by their captors and mutilated to simulate blast injuries.
The funeral took place in the town of Tzohar near the Gaza border in southern Israel. While the ceremony was private, thousands of mourners lined the route, holding Israeli flags or photos of the victims as they watched the procession of hearses pass by.
On Wednesday, Egyptian mediators confirmed a breakthrough after days of deadlock to ensure the transfer of the final four bodies of hostages planned for this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that an agreement had been reached to transfer the bodies of the four hostages, without disclosing their identities. Hamas stated they would release the bodies of Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur on Wednesday evening, adding that a hospital in Gaza was preparing to receive the Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged.
Hamas had previously held a public ceremony in Gaza displaying surviving hostages and coffins containing the bodies of hostages, drawing increasing criticism including condemnation from the United Nations. Last Saturday, after Hamas handed over six surviving hostages in a similar ceremony, Israel refused to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners.
A senior Hamas official mentioned on Wednesday that the latest exchange would not involve a public ceremony.