Hamas prepares to hand over bodies of four Gaza hostages to Israel

Hundreds of people gathered in the winter cold on Thursday as Palestinian militant groups prepared to hand over to Israel the bodies of four hostages, including the two youngest captives taken by Hamas in their October 7, 2023 attack.

Palestinian militant groups said the bodies of the two boys and their mother Shiri Bibas, along with that of a fourth hostage, Oded Lifschitz, would be handed over under the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached last month with the backing of the United States and the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.

Armed Hamas militants in black and camouflage uniforms toured the area at the handover point in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.