Hamas members hand over captives to Red Cross personnel. AFP
"Within the framework of the deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades has decided to hand over the bodies of four hostages tonight," the group said, providing the names of the captives. Israeli authorities have yet to confirm the names.
According to Abu Obeida, the spokesperson of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades the bodies would be for Atsahy Edan, Etseek Aljareet, Ohad Yahlomi and Shlomo Mansor.
A senior Hamas official told AFP that the Palestinian movement will not hold a public ceremony for the handover of the bodies of four Israeli captives.
"The handover will take place without public presence to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction," the official said on Wednesday.
Israel delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners despite Hamas handing over six Israeli captives as part of the seventh batch in prisoner exchange on Saturday.
Hamas condemned the delay as a “serious violation” of the ceasefire agreement, stating that talks on a second phase are impossible until the Palestinians are freed.
However, a breakthrough occurred on Wednesday when two Hamas officials told AFP that mediators had informed the group that the exchange would occur on Thursday.
"Hamas and other resistance factions will hand over four bodies of Israeli captives, and in return, Israel will release more than 600 Palestinian detainees," a Hamas official told AFP on Wednesday.
Moreover, Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou told the AP on Wednesday that the group would hand over the bodies of four Israelis on Thursday.
Shortly after, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed reaching an agreement with mediators for the return of the bodies of Israeli captives.
When asked if such a deal had been reached, the spokesman for the PM's office said: "Yes," without providing immediate details.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump's top envoy, Steve Witkoff, said talks for a second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal were on track.
Witkoff stated that Israeli representatives were en route to talks on the next phase of the ceasefire deal.
"We're making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak," he said during an event for the American Jewish Committee.
"It's either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris," he said.
Israel has yet to confirm whether it is sending a delegation to discuss the second phase of the truce.
This first phase is supposed to end on Saturday, but negotiations for the rest of the process — which were to begin in early February — have not yet started.
The Financial Times quoted informed sources saying that Israel is attempting to extend the first phase of the ceasefire instead of moving to the second phase.
The newspaper reported that Netanyahu aims to secure the release of the remaining Israeli captives while avoiding a commitment to halting the war.
Meanwhile, mediators hope to begin second-phase talks this week.
A total of 33 Israeli captives are supposed to be exchanged for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza during the ceasefire deal's first phase, which is due to end on Saturday.
So far, 25 living and four dead captives have been released in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.
The agreement has also seen Israeli forces withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been allowed to return to their homes in the north, and hundreds of aid lorries are now being allowed into the territory each day.
The ceasefire's second phase should see the 57 remaining captives released, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a permanent ceasefire.
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