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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 19 February 2025

Hamas says it will free 6 living hostages and hand over 4 bodies,

accelerating Gaza releases

By SAMY MAGDY and NAT- The AP journalist saw two
ALIE MELZER bulldozers clearing rubble
Associated Press in an area near the Pales-
CAIRO (AP) — A top Hamas tinian side of the Rafah bor-
official says the militant der crossing. An Egyptian
group will free six living Is- driver told AP that dozens
raeli hostages on Saturday of bulldozers and tractors
and return the bodies of were at another crossing,
four others on Thursday, awaiting Israeli permission
a surprise acceleration in to enter.
releases that apparently Israel is expected to con-
comes in return for Israel’s tinue releasing hundreds
allowing mobile homes of Palestinian prisoners,
and construction equip- including many serving
ment into the devastated life sentences for deadly
Gaza Strip. attacks, in exchange for
The six are the last living the hostages. Others were
hostages set to be freed detained without charge.
under the ceasefire’s first During the first phase, Isra-
phase. The warring sides el is also due to release all
have yet to negotiate the Displaced Palestinians, traveling in vehicles, wait to cross through a security checkpoint at the women and children seized
second and more difficult Netzarim corridor as they make their way from central Gaza to the northern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, from Gaza since the war
phase, in which Hamas Feb. 18, 2025. Associated Press began.q
would release dozens more
hostages in exchange for a
lasting ceasefire and an Is- tion showed Shiri swaddling
raeli withdrawal. her redheaded boys in a
Hamas leader Khalil al- blanket and being whisked
Hayya, in prerecorded re- away by armed men.
marks released Tuesday, The six living hostages slat-
said the “Bibas family” ed for release are Eliya
would be included in the Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer
handover of four bodies, Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert,
apparently referring to Shiri Hisham Al-Sayed, and Av-
Bibas and her two young era Mengistu, the Hostages
sons, Ariel and Kfir, who for and Missing Families Forum
many Israelis embody the said Tuesday. Cohen, 27,
captives’ plight. Shem Tov, 22, and Wenkert,
Israel has not confirmed 23, were abducted from
their deaths, and the prime a music festival. Shoham
minister’s office urged the was taken from the hard-
public not to distribute hit community of Kibbutz
“photos, names and ru- Beeri. Al-Sayed, 36, and
mors” after the announce- Mengistu, 39, have both
ment by Hamas. been held since crossing
“In the past few hours, we into Gaza years before the
have been in turmoil,” sur- Oct. 7 attack.
viving members of the Bi- An Israeli official, speaking
bas family said in a state- on condition of anonymity
ment released Tuesday by in line with regulations, said
a group representing the Prime Minister Benjamin Ne-
relatives of hostages. “Until tanyahu had agreed to al-
we receive definitive con- low long-requested mobile
firmation, our journey is not homes and construction
over.” equipment into Gaza as
Israel has said it was gravely part of efforts to acceler-
concerned about the Bibas ate the hostages’ release.
family, while Hamas said Hamas last week threat-
they were killed in an Israeli ened to hold up releases,
airstrike early in the war. citing the refusal to allow in
Yarden Bibas, the husband mobile homes and heavy
and father, was kidnapped equipment among other
separately and released alleged violations of the
this month. truce.
Kfir, who was 9 months Israel began allowing entry
old at the time, was the of rubble-removing equip-
youngest hostage taken ment Tuesday, according
in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, at- to an Associated Press jour-
tack that triggered the nalist in southern Gaza and
war. A video of the abduc- Egypt’s state-run media.