Hamas to return bodies of four hostages including two children on February 20

Hamas announced it will return the bodies of four hostages, including Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Kfir and Ariel, on February 20. The Bibas family was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack. Hamas will also release six living hostages on February 24, doubling the initial plan. In exchange, Israel will free all women and minors arrested since October and allow rubble-clearing equipment into Gaza. Currently, 73 hostages remain in Gaza, with a total of 251 taken during the October attack. Talks for the next phase of the ceasefire agreement are expected to begin this week.