Bodies of Deceased Hostages Arrive in Tel Aviv

The bodies of the four deceased hostages that Hamas released have arrived at a forensic centre in Tel Aviv, Israel. The identity of the four will be established there.

According to Israeli media, the process could take up to 48 hours.

It is believed to be Oded Lifshitz and three members of the Bibas family. Hamas says they are mother Shiri and her young sons Ariel and Kfir. The father of the family, who was also taken hostage, was released alive in early February.

Portraits of the four deceased were on the coffins that Hamas handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday morning.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk has criticised how the bodies were handed over. The coffins were placed on a podium in Khan Younis and then loaded into ICRC vehicles.

A doctored image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was displayed near the podium, with the text that “war criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi army” had killed the hostages with their airstrikes.