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Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including two initially taken as toddlers, Thursday (February 20) morning.
The four bodies handed over during the exchange included Kfir Bibas, who was the youngest captive in Gaza taken at just 9 months old, his brother, Ariel, who was taken at 4, their mother Shiri, 33, and Oded Lifshitz, 84, the New York Post reports. The bodies of the Bibas family and Lifshitz, all of whom were kidnapped during the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, will be transferred back to Israel where a funeral service will be held.
The kidnapping of the four victims became a symbol of the October 7 horrors and four coffins containing the victim were displayed on stage in front of a disturbing mural on a stage in the Gaza City of Khan Younins. Hamas included a mural of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu standing over the Bibas family and Liftshitz with blood dripping from his mouth, along with an inscription blaming Netanyahu for "killing them" as armed Hamas members and Palestinians crowded to watch the transfer of the victims.
Two missiles were also placed next to the coffins on the stage with English text stating, "They were killed by USA bombs."
Four Hamas members carried each victim over to a nearby Red Cross vehicle where workers draped a white sheet over the coffins before placing them in the back of a vehicle.