In an essay in the Washington Post, Gazan lawyer Moumen Al-Natour shares how protests in Gaza are intensifying as Gazans express frustration with Hamas’ leadership, focusing on both internal governance failures and failure to alleviate the violence in the territory. Al-Natour believes that demonstrators are demanding accountability from Hamas, signaling a shift in the political climate.

After weeks of failed negotiations to reach an extension of a ceasefire agreement that expired on March 1, Israel launched new airstrikes against Hamas with the goals of degrading Hamas leadership and freeing the 59 hostages still remaining in Gaza. Israeli officials condemned Hamas for violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement, while the Hostage Families Forum called on Israeli citizens to join an emergency protest against the resumption of hostilities.

After over 500 days in captivity, bodies of four hostages have finally been returned to Israel and identified: Itzik Elgarat, Tsachi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur. The four men were kidnapped from their homes on October 7, 2023 and were murdered in captivity. All 33 hostages from phase one of the hostage-release and temporary ceasefire deal have now been released, leaving 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are presumed dead.

Israeli officials have confirmed that the identity of Shiri Bibas, kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, has been confirmed after her body was returned to Israel on Saturday evening. This comes after Hamas previously sent the wrong remains, falsely claiming they were hers. Her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel, were also murdered in captivity and their bodies were released and identified last week.

After over 500 days in captivity, six hostages were released on Saturday. These hostages are the last group of living hostages to be released in the first phase of the hostage release and temporary ceasefire agreement. Tal Shoham (39), Omer Shem Tov (21), Omer Wenkert (22), Eliya Cohen (26), Avera Mengistu (37), and Hisham al-Sayed (35) were reunited with their families in Israel. Four more hostages, all believed to be deceased, are expected to be released on Thursday.

IDF confirms identities of Bibas children, Ariel and Kfir, whose bodies were returned by Hamas on Thursday. Killed in November 2023 after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Ariel was four years old and Kfir was ten months old when they were murdered. In a serious violation of the current hostage release and temporary ceasefire agreement, the body thought to be their mother, Shiri Bibas, was confirmed to be an anonymous individual, not connected to any of the known hostages. The identity of Oded Lifshitz, the other hostage whose body was released in this exchange, was confirmed on Thursday.