Sawt Falasteen - Hamas says to hand over four Israeli hostages' bodies in private

The swap will be the final one under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that went into effect on January 19.

Mediator the United States said efforts were underway to secure a second phase of the deal, whose complexity and drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility.

Hamas's armed wing said Wednesday that under the "framework of the deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades has decided to hand over the bodies of four hostages tonight".

A Hamas official told AFP that in return, Israel would release 625 Palestinian prisoners.

The official also said the return of the four bodies "will take place without public presence to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction".

Israel confirmed the handover was set for Wednesday night. "In accordance with Israeli demands, an agreement was reached with the mediators: our four fallen hostages will be returned tonight... without Hamas ceremonies," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Past handover ceremonies have been held in public spaces, with hostages paraded on stage, given certificates and gift bags, and often made to speak in front of crowds.

The spectacles had drawn outrage in Israel, which halted the planned release of prisoners during last week's exchange to protest what it called the "humiliating ceremonies".

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the swaps, had urged all parties to carry them out "in a dignified and private manner".

- 'Negotiations will begin' -

The ceasefire has largely halted the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and has seen 25 hostages released alive so far in exchange for more than 1,100 prisoners.

There have been sporadic incidents of violence, however.

The Israeli military said it carried out air strikes on several launch sites inside Gaza after a projectile was fired from there on Wednesday, though the munition fell short inside the Palestinian territory

In Washington, President Donald Trump's top envoy to the Middle East said Israeli representatives were en route to talks on the next phase of the ceasefire.

"We're making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak," Steve Witkoff told 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."

The first phase of the deal is supposed to end on Saturday, but negotiations for the next stage -- which were due to begin in early February -- have not yet started.

Hamas has said it is ready to release all the remaining hostages "in one go" during the second phase.

On Sunday, the group accused Israel of endangering the Gaza truce by delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners.

According to the Hamas official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, 602 prisoners due for release last weekend would be freed on Thursday.

Another 23, all women and minors, would also be released, he said.

- Minute's silence -

On Wednesday, thousands gathered in Israel for the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in captivity in Gaza and had become symbols of the country's hostage ordeal.

The Israeli parliament held a minute of silence to mourn their deaths, as well as those of other victims of the October 2023 attack.

"Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas is taking place. We remember all the victims of October 7. We remember, and we will not forget," said speaker Amir Ohana.

Hamas and its allies took 251 hostages, with 62 still held in Gaza, 35 of whom are dead.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after the attack, the deadliest in the country's history, and has made bringing back all the hostages a central war aim.

Israel's retaliation in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the United Nations considers credible.

- 'Shiri, I'm sorry' -

At Wednesday's Bibas family funeral, father Yarden Bibas, who was abducted separately on October 7 and released alive in a previous exchange, apologised to his late wife and sons.

"Shiri, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you all," Bibas said in his eulogy, his voice cracking.

The Israeli national anthem was played as the funeral convoy passed through a crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.

"The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7," said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP.

"The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood."

H.Darwish--SF-PST