In contrast to the joyful scenes of living hostages returning home over the past few weeks, the transfer of bodies on Thursday, potentially including those of two children, will be somber.
Israelis waited anxiously on Wednesday for the expected release of the bodies of four hostages by Hamas the following day as part of the cease-fire deal in Gaza.
Israelis and Palestinians have been gripped by emotional homecomings during the truce, which began in late January. As part of the deal’s first phase, Hamas committed to returning 25 Israelis held hostage in Gaza and the remains of eight others in exchange for 1,500 Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel.
For the past few weeks, Israelis have watched tearful parents and siblings embrace their freed loved ones, many of whom had scarcely been heard from since they were kidnapped by Hamas and its allies during the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel.
Palestinians have greeted released prisoners, some of whom spent decades in Israeli jails for militant attacks. Many others, including women and minors, were detained indefinitely without charges.
The scenes anticipated on Thursday in Israel are likely to be much more somber.
The bodies of the Israeli hostages will be ferried by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Israeli forces. They will then be brought back to Israel for forensic testing to verify their identity and, if possible, establish the cause of death, which could take time.
Hamas has yet to formally announce the names of all the captives whose bodies will be returned. But Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, said on Tuesday that they would include members of the Bibas family, whose abduction shocked and horrified Israelis and others around the world.