JERUSALEM. Israel is preparing to receive six more hostages from Gaza on Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement, despite escalating tensions over the misidentification of a returned body earlier this week. The release is part of a fragile ceasefire deal with multiple setbacks.
According to Hamas officials, the six hostages—comprising the last living captives from a group of 33 set for release in the first phase of the agreement—are expected to be handed over at approximately 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).
Among them are four Israeli citizens kidnapped by Hamas gunmen during the October 7, 2023, attack: Eliya Cohen, 27; Tal Shoham, 40; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23. The remaining two, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, and Avera Mengistu, 39, have been held by Hamas for nearly a decade after separately entering Gaza under unclear circumstances.
In exchange, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the latest phase of a complex swap. The truce, which began on January 19, has teetered on collapse multiple times due to disputes between the two sides.
Dispute Over Hostage Remains
The ongoing exchange was nearly derailed on Thursday when Israel accused Hamas of violating the agreement by handing over the wrong body instead of the remains of Shiri Bibas, who was supposed to be returned alongside her two young sons.
Hamas claimed the remains were mistakenly mixed with others retrieved from the rubble following an Israeli airstrike in November 2023. On Friday, the group turned over another body, which Israeli forensic experts are now analyzing to confirm its identity.
The Bibas family, who were taken hostage along with their father during the October 7 attack, has become a symbol of Israel’s national trauma. The misidentification of Shiri Bibas’ remains and the staged handover of empty coffins by Hamas sparked widespread outrage in Israel.
Adding to the tensions, the Israeli military concluded that 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother, Ariel, were deliberately killed by their captors.
In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas would “pay the full price” for failing to return the body. However, he stopped short of pulling out of the ceasefire deal, which remains a critical diplomatic effort.
Ceasefire Holds Amidst Uncertainty
Despite mounting accusations, Hamas confirmed to Israel the names of the hostages to be released on Saturday—an indication that the handover remains on track.
While the truce has momentarily paused fighting, a permanent end to the war remains elusive. Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its October 7 assault, continues to assert its control over Gaza despite heavy losses.
Meanwhile, Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 48,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, with hundreds of thousands now sheltering in makeshift camps and reliant on humanitarian aid.
Both sides have expressed willingness to negotiate a second phase of exchanges, with mediators hoping to secure the release of around 60 remaining hostages and initiate an Israeli military withdrawal. However, the process is clouded by deeper geopolitical disputes—fueled in part by controversial proposals, including a reported plan by former U.S. President Donald Trump to transform Gaza into a luxury resort under U.S. oversight.
As the latest exchange unfolds, the fate of the ceasefire—and any potential path to peace—remains deeply uncertain.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
