GAZA/JERUSALEM, Feb 20 (NNN-WAFA/MA’AN) – Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said yesterday that, it will hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including the bodies of three members of the Bibas family.
Abu Obeida, spokesman of al-Qassam, said in a statement, “The bodies of the Bibas family will be handed over Thursday (today), in addition to the body of the detained Israeli prisoner Oded Lifshitz.”
“Tomorrow (today) will be a very difficult day for Israel. A shocking day, a day of sorrow. We are bringing home four of our beloved hostages, fallen hostages,” said Netanyahu.
“We grieve, we hurt, but we are also determined to ensure that something like this will never happen again,” he added.
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the groups that held them in Gaza, said, they were among those killed in Israeli airstrikes on the territory.
Israel is expected to free Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli jails, in exchange for the return of the bodies. The exchange is part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan 19.– NNN-WAFA/MA’AN
