Handing Over Four Israeli Prisoners’ Bodies in Gaza: Key Messages from the Resistance

Watan-The Palestinian resistance handed over four Israeli prisoners’ bodies today, Thursday, who were killed by the Israeli occupation during its ongoing genocide campaign against Gaza, which lasted for over 15 continuous months.

Among the prisoners delivered by Al-Qassam Brigades, Saraya Al-Quds, and Al-Mujahideen Brigades were the bodies of the Bibas family and Oded Levites, all of whom were alive before their detention locations were bombed by Israeli warplanes.

The handover ceremony took place as part of a prisoner exchange deal in the area of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Yunis, near the Suheila cemetery, which witnessed many events during the Israeli war on Gaza.

The bodies were placed in black wooden coffins prepared by the Palestinian resistance to deliver the Israeli prisoners through the International Red Cross. The first phase of the exchange will include eight bodies, four of which were handed over today and the remaining four next week.

Handover of Israeli Prisoners’ Bodies in Khan Yunis Marks Escalating Tensions

Each of the four bodies was placed in a black wooden coffin with the name of the prisoner, a picture of Netanyahu, and the words in both Hebrew and Arabic: “They were killed by Netanyahu.” Nearby, unexploded Israeli rockets were placed as a sign of the Israeli bombing that targeted them during their captivity by the Palestinian resistance.

This area witnessed two military operations that lasted for months, starting with the Israeli occupation’s incursion on December 5, 2023, where it remained for four months. It returned in April 2024 but failed to locate any prisoners or their bodies. Several field commanders from the resistance mentioned during the funeral that the occupation had dug up the area searching for tunnels and prisoners’ bodies without finding any.

During the ceremony, the commanders of the Eastern and Northern battalions in Khan Yunis, whom Israel previously claimed to have assassinated, appeared overseeing the handover of the bodies. This scene reminded many of the situation with the commanders of the beach and Beit Hanoun battalions of Al-Qassam, whom the occupation had also claimed to have killed, only for them to later appear alive.

During the handover, several banners were raised, including one in Arabic, Hebrew, and English reading: “The return of war = the return of prisoners in coffins,” referencing the potential for a repeat of the scene if Netanyahu’s government returns to war. Another banner displayed the number of Palestinian martyrs, wounded, and Israeli massacres, with accusations of “Nazism” directed at the Israeli government. A prominent banner featured a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu with the Bibas family, with the message: “They were killed by war criminal Netanyahu with warplane missiles.”

The ceremony also saw the appearance of hundreds of fighters from various Palestinian factions, as well as Israeli weapons seized during the October 7, 2023 attack or the Israeli genocide war. Former prisoners who were expelled to Gaza also attended the ceremony. Among the messages conveyed was the magnitude of the Israeli massacres committed throughout the war, as well as the killing of Israeli prisoners.

Hamas, in a statement, emphasized that they ensured respect for the dead and the feelings of their families during the handover, despite the Israeli army showing no respect for their lives while they were alive. The movement stated: “We preserved the lives of Israeli prisoners, treated them humanely, but their army killed them along with their captors.”

Hamas also stated that Netanyahu is now mourning the bodies of his soldiers in an attempt to avoid responsibility for their deaths, while the resistance did everything possible to protect the prisoners, but Israeli airstrikes hindered their efforts. The movement sent a message to the families of Bibas and Levites, stating: “We would have preferred your sons to return alive to you, but your army and government chose to kill them instead of retrieving them. Along with them, they killed 17,881 Palestinian children in their criminal bombing of Gaza.”

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli forensic doctor, Chin Kogel, noted that the examination of death circumstances is an essential part of identification, though it may take some time due to the long duration since death.

Meanwhile, Israeli families of captives are concerned about the future stages of the exchange deal, calling on the Israeli government to ensure the return of all hostages. The statement emphasized the need to speed up negotiations and prevent further loss of lives or the disappearance of bodies.

Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu had considered attending the handover ceremony on the Israeli side but ultimately decided against it at the last moment.