Israel confirms return of remains of four hostages from Gaza including young family

Israel will receive the remains of four hostages from Gaza, including a mother and her two young children, on Thursday. This marks the first confirmation of the Bibas family's fate since they were taken on October 7, 2023. The handover is part of a ceasefire agreement, which also includes the return of Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old retired journalist. Hamas claims all four hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes, while Israel expressed grave concern for their safety. The deal will see six living Israeli hostages released on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This phase of the agreement aims to gradually release 33 hostages, with eight believed to be deceased.