Hamas returns bodies of four Israeli hostages including two children in Gaza exchange

Hamas has released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including two young children, in Khan Younis, Gaza. The hostages were Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Hamas claims they were killed by Israeli strikes. Photos show armed Hamas militants standing over the black coffins during the exchange. The bodies were later transferred to Red Cross vehicles for identification in Israel. This handover occurred amid ongoing prisoner exchanges between Hamas and Israel. To date, 24 hostages have been released alive by Hamas, while Israel has freed 369 Palestinian prisoners. The October 7 attacks resulted in 251 abductions, including 30 children. Israeli strikes in Gaza have reportedly killed 45,000 Palestinians.