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Following Israeli demands, “a deal was reached with the mediators: our four fallen hostages will be returned tonight as part of Phase 1, under an agreed procedure and without Hamas ceremonies,” the PMO stated.
Under the deal, the prisoners are set to be freed simultaneously with the transfer to Israel by Hamas of four Israeli hostages’ remains, completing Phase 1 of the ceasefire agreement, according to Channel 12 News.
Egypt, acting as a mediator, confirmed the breakthrough and said it will oversee the exchange, reportedly scheduled to take place at 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Gaza’s Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network also reported that the transfer would occur under Egyptian supervision.
Israeli officials were updating the families of the deceased hostages expected to be returned on Wednesday, Ynet reported. According to Hamas, it was preparing to return the bodies of slain Israeli captives Tsahi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mansour.
The hostages’ remains were initially set to be released on Thursday in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Jerusalem.
The Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades, a terrorist group in the Gaza Strip affiliated with Hamas, previously announced on its official Telegram channel that it would release the body of Yahalomi on Thursday.
Israel was set to free the prisoners on Feb. 22, including 50 serving life sentences, 60 serving long terms and 47 who were rearrested after being released as part of the 2011 swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he had temporarily paused the Palestinian prisoners’ release “in light of Hamas’s repeated violations [of the ceasefire], including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes.”
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes described Netanyahu’s decision as an “appropriate response” to Hamas’s actions, according to Reuters.
Hughes stressed that U.S. President Donald Trump was ready to back Jerusalem in “whatever course of action it chooses regarding Hamas.”
On Monday night, Channel 12 News reported that the bodies of two slain hostages would be transferred to Egyptian territory “within 24 hours” in exchange for the release of 302 jailed Palestinian terrorists.
According to the report, Hamas agreed to release the bodies of two more deceased Israeli captives later in exchange for the remaining prisoners.
The return this week of the remains of four hostages would be the final exchange of Phase 1 of the ceasefire, which took effect on Jan. 19 and is due to end on March 1.
According to Israel’s assessment, there are 63 hostages remaining in Gaza, including 60 men and 3 women. Thirty-six of the captives have been murdered, including 35 from Oct. 7 and Hadar Goldin, abducted in 2014.
Israel to send delegation for next phase of hostage deal
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Tuesday that Israel will send a delegation to Doha or Cairo to advance Phase 2 of the hostage deal. Speaking at an American Jewish Committee meeting in Washington, he highlighted significant progress and efforts to secure the release of more hostages. Witkoff added that he may join the talks if they yield positive results.
Israeli sources indicated to Israel Hayom that Hamas faces three possible paths: surrender, disarmament, and exile to bring the war to an end; prolonging the initial phase through further hostage exchanges for prisoners and increased humanitarian aid; or a return to full-scale combat.
Discussions on the return of the remaining hostages are set to begin in Cairo in the coming days, but only after Israel recovers the bodies.
Israel intends to send a delegation to these talks, building on the groundwork established over the past two weeks in the U.S. between Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Witkoff.
Despite the terms of the agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are not expected to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor or the security perimeter in the near future—if at all.
