Israel says that Hamas returned the bodies of four more hostages on Thursday, as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the two sides.



Under the terms of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire that took effect on January 19, Hamas has agreed to return 33 of the hostages it took in October 2023.



Before Thursday, Hamas had already handed back 19 hostages, and, in return, Israel had released over 1,100 Palestinians held in its prisons.



Hamas said the bodies returned on Thursday include those of a mother and her two young children, and an elderly man. If their identities are confirmed by Israel, the total number of hostages released will reach 23.
Hamas has said that it will release six more living hostages on Saturday, followed by the handover of four bodies next week, completing the agreed-upon return of 33 hostages.



Under the terms of the agreement, the two sides are supposed to hold talks during the first phase on transitioning to the second. A permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages are meant to be discussed in the second phase.



However, these talks have produced little to no progress.



According to Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to extend the current 42-day phase set to end on March 1 in order to secure the freedom of more hostages without shifting to a permanent ceasefire.