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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.

Israeli officials confirmed that the bodies of Shiri Bibas (32) and her two young children, Ariel (5) and Kfir (2), along with 84-year-old journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz, will be returned to Israel tomorrow after being held captive for over 500 days. The Bibas family and Lifshitz were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Yarden Bibas, the father and husband, was released earlier this month after nearly 500 days in captivity. Their families have been notified, and the nation mourns their heartbreaking loss.

Israel confirmed that six hostages will be released on Saturday as part of the initial phase of the ongoing hostage release and temporary ceasefire agreement. The group includes Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held captive by Hamas since 2014 and 2015, respectively. Also among the hostages to be released are Tal Shoham, abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri, and three men — Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen — who were taken captive at the Nova music festival on October 7.