The bodies of four hostages who have yet to be returned to Israel as part of the final phase of the first stage of the deal—Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur—were transferred to Israel early Thursday morning.
The transfer process began shortly after 11:00 p.m., with Red Cross vehicles setting out to receive the coffins of the four.
Around 12:30 a.m., the Red Cross received the bodies of the four hostages from Hamas. Shortly after 1:00 a.m., the Red Cross vehicles met IDF troops at the Kerem Shalom crossing. At 1:30 a.m., the coffins arrived in Israeli territory.
An Al Jazeera correspondent reported that the bodies of the hostages were transferred without any ceremony or event, and without the presence of any other media outlets.
At the same time, buses carrying terrorists who will be released as part of the deal departed from Ofer Prison. 37 of them were received in Ramallah and five others were released to eastern Jerusalem.
Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, arrived at the Kerem Shalom crossing to receive the bodies.
Personnel from the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the police forensic team are preparing to assist in the initial identification of the bodies upon their arrival at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Prior to this, the Chief Rabbi of the IDF will hold a memorial ceremony for the dead hostages after they are transferred to the custody of the military in the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of the release, the family of Tsachi Idan published a statement saying, “Our family received with great sorrow the announcement from Hamas that our beloved Tsachi is no longer among the living and that his body will be returned to Israel during the night. We are all still awaiting the longed-for certainty, which we can only obtain after his arrival in Israel and the completion of all necessary examinations by the authorized state authorities, while preserving the privacy of Tsachi and his family.”
“Since Tzachi was abducted while standing on his feet, we received several signs of life, and in the previous deal last November, Tsachi was alive and expected to be released. We are grateful for the immense love and support we have received from the citizens of Israel, the media, and the Nahal Oz community. In these difficult hours, we ask that our privacy be respected. We will provide updates later after receiving details from the authorized authorities of the State of Israel,” the family stated.
According to estimates, the release of the bodies will take place without any ceremony on the part of Hamas, with Egyptian involvement in the matter. The coffins will be handed over from Hamas to the Red Cross, and Israel will gradually release terrorists until it is confirmed that the bodies indeed belong to those who are supposed to be released. Israel emphasized that until a final identification of the bodies is completed, the more significant group of terrorists will not be released.
Trump Said He’s ‘Disappointed’
US President Donald Trump spoke to the press before the first cabinet meeting of his current term and discussed the release of four deceased hostages from Hamas captivity.
Flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the President answered a question about the chances of reaching phase two of the deal between Israel and Hamas. “I’m very disappointed when I see four bodies came in today. These were young people – young people don’t die. They (Hamas) think they’re doing us a favor by sending us bodies,” Trump replied.
He noted that the decision has to be made by Israel and added: “We got a lot of hostages back, but it’s very sad what happened to those people. We had a young lady with her hand practically blown off. Do you know why it blew off? Because she put up her hand to try to stop a bullet that was coming her way.”
Trump referred to Hamas as “a vicious group of people, and Israel’s going to have to decide what they’re doing. Phase one is going to be ending. Think of it, today they sent in four bodies – bodies!”
He clarified that he spoke with many of the families and “they want those bodies almost as much and maybe even just as much as they wanted their son or their daughter, it’s amazing.”
The President also mentioned the poor conditions of the living hostages who were released: “When I saw the ones who came in two weeks ago, they looked like they just got out of a concentration camp. Then the following week a group came in and they weren’t in as bad a shape.”
He concluded that it was a “very sad situation. At some point, somebody’s going to say: ‘We got to do something about this.'”
VIDEO:
.@POTUS on Gaza: “I’m very disappointed… four bodies came in today… We got a lot of hostages back, but it’s very sad what happened to those people… This is a vicious group of people, and Israel’s going to have to decide what they’re doing.” pic.twitter.com/cvYaCOe8Pi
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 26, 2025
With Global participation ,
Extremely disturbing how world “leaders” are acting irresponsible at every sense of the word
A goy is doing better than Netanyahu. Apikorsum can learn at least from a sheygetz
I understand your frustration and I share some of it, but what Bibi is doing is trying to free as many of our boys as he can (most of those remaining are soldiers), before raining hell on Hamas.
If you think you have better ideas how to deal with this situation, go ahead and do it.
I am generally supportive of what the PM is doing. All I want to see that I don’t yet see, is concrete action in the form of implementing Trump’s emigration plan. And I want a plan in place to return to the fighting.
Taking toooo long
trump is giving a pretty obvious hint/sign that it will support eretz yisrael if it goes all out on chamas…how sad though that they aren’t…
In Parshas Mishpatim 5752, the Rebbe said the decision of world leaders to turn swords into plowshears is happening because of Moshiach who has already begun his work. “We see already the beginning of the actions of Moshiach on the nations…”. Moshiach influenced those leaders. And the Rebbe is influencing today.
In 5752, parshas Mishpatim, (Sefer Hasichos vol 2, p. 363) the Rebbe said that the decision of world leaders to turn swords into plowshares is happening as a result “of the beginning of the actions of Moshiach on the nations.”
All the more so now, so many years after that, Moshiach is active in the world.
I wonder how, halachically, one can justify releasing terrorists, who can take more lives, in order to secure the release of the dead for burial. It seems to me to be contrary to Judaism. I understand the desire for finality on the part of the loved ones, but we must place the protection of the living as more sacred than the burial of the dead, no?
Every Jewish life is an entire world. It is complicated and I’m sure there is not a straight answer. It’s like damned if you do damned if you don’t.
Either way, these hostages must be freed, and Gaza needs to be wiped out
Lets be B’Simcha cuz Moshiach will arrive in the blink of an eye!!