IDF prepares to receive bodies of hostages on Thursday

This is expected two days before the next release of hostages on Saturday, with 73 captives still held in the Gaza Strip

Inon Shalom Yttach
Inon Shalom Yttach ■ Defense Correspondent, i24NEWS Hebrew Channel ■   
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Protests in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square calling for the release of the captives in Gaza
Protests in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square calling for the release of the captives in GazaAP/Oded Bellity

The Israel Defense Forces is preparing to receive bodies of four hostages on Thursday, i24NEWS learned on Monday. In exchange, According all Palestinian women and minors up to the age of 19 who were arrested in the Gaza Strip from October 8, 2023, will be freed. 

Eight hostages remain for Hamas to release in Phase One of the ceasefire deal. Preparations are focused in the IDF's Manpower Directorate and the Southern Command.

Despite this, senior Hamas official Ismail Radwan told the Qatar-based station Al Araby TV that the group has not received any communications about such a deal.

This comes after the crisis in the ceasefire deal, when Hamas announced last week that it would not release three abductees as agreed, alleging that Israel is violating the agreement. Agreements were eventually reached and Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horen, and Alexander Troufanov were released. Nevertheless, in Israel it was announced that due to this they will work to get more abductees out earlier. Hamas' announcement last week led that night to a threat from US President Donald Trump, who issued an ultimatum to the terrorist organization to release all the abductees "by Saturday at 12 [pm]." Otherwise, "there will be hell to pay."

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