Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Hamas turned over what it said were the remains of four Israeli hostages early on Thursday, according to the Israeli military, and Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners, in the latest such exchange during the initial stage of a fragile cease-fire.Hamas’s military wing on Wednesday afternoon named the four Israelis as Ohad Yahalomi, Itzhak Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour and Tsachi Idan. They ranged in age from 85 to 49 when they were abducted, and their remains were to be swapped for a group of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.Unlike previous handovers, this time, Hamas carried out the transfer without staged displays, which Israel had condemned as “humiliating ceremonies.”Around the same time on Thursday, a white bus and two cars bearing the emblem of the International Committee of the Red Cross were shown live on Palestinian television departing from Ofer Prison in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the city of Ramallah in the same territory. Dozens of prisoners stepped off the bus. Hundreds more were expected to be released once Israel identified the bodies turned over.The office of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that the coffins were handed over to the Israeli military, with Egypt mediating. “A preliminary identification process has now begun on Israeli soil,” his office said in a statement. “The families of the hostages are being continuously updated, and they will receive an official notification once the full identification process is complete.”Because Hamas had misidentified a female hostage in a previous handover, the Israeli health authorities had said that forensic specialists would attempt to immediately identify the remains. Once they confirmed the identities, the Israeli military was expected to release additional prisoners.The latest exchange comes as the first phase of the truce, which began in January, draws to a close after 42 days. It was unclear whether serious negotiations on the second phase of the agreement have begun. Israel and Hamas were supposed to start talks by the 16th day of the cease-fire. But there has been little sign of progress despite pressure from U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators, who had hoped any truce would be extended into a more comprehensive resolution to the conflict.During the first phase, Hamas was to free 25 Israeli hostages and hand over the bodies of eight others in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians jailed by Israel. On Saturday, the armed Palestinian group released the last living captives for this stage. Four deceased hostages were also repatriated last week.But Israel delayed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners as part of that exchange until Hamas committed to stopping the staged displays before throngs of Gazans during the handoffs. Armed and masked members of Hamas had been releasing the hostages in highly choreographed displays of force and power in which some hostages were made to thank their former captors.The delay raised questions about how long the truce would hold.Late on Tuesday, Hamas announced that a deal had been reached for the simultaneous release of the Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remains of the four Israelis. They were among about 250 people taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 others and ignited the war in Gaza.In response, Israel launched its devastating military campaign against Hamas, which killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials, whose numbers do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.Mr. Netanyahu’s office said mediators had guaranteed that Hamas would hand over the coffins without another release ceremony.Some of the Palestinian prisoners listed for release were convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Others — including minors — were arrested without formal charges after Israeli forces swept through Gaza during a ground invasion.Relatives of the prisoners began gathering in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. Some had waited in vain for hours last weekend in the occupied territory, when Israel announced it was holding back some of the scheduled prisoner releases.“We hope to see our brother tonight,” said Suleiman Mardawi, 40, whose brother, Mohammad Mardawi — a member of the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad — was imprisoned in 1999 for attacking Israelis in the West Bank, the brother said. “But we are prepared for anything,” he added, acknowledging the possibility of another last-minute delay.The exchange on Thursday may be the last in the first phase of the cease-fire. About 25 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others are still in Gaza, according to the Israeli government.Amid the uncertainty about the future of truce talks, Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, had been expected in the region on Wednesday in an attempt to move the talks forward. But Mr. Witkoff’s trip has been delayed, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the envoy’s schedule.Israel and Hamas both have reasons to avoid resuming the war. Hamas wants to give its forces a chance to recuperate and rebuild, whereas Israel would like to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza.But the war could still be rekindled.The Israeli military has already made extensive preparations for a new and intense campaign in Gaza, according to three defense officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak more freely. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it had increased “operational readiness in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.”The first phase of the cease-fire has been plagued by repeated allegations of violations on both sides.Israel has repeatedly fired on Palestinians in Gaza, saying they were violating the truce by approaching forbidden areas, killing some and wounding others, according to local health officials. The Israeli military has also said that it has struck areas from where rockets have been launched in Gaza; none of those projectiles crossed the border into Israeli territory.And days before the release of the prisoners was delayed, Hamas’s initial failure to return the body of Shiri Bibas as promised provoked outrage in Israel. Hamas militants had handed over what it said was her body alongside her children’s remains in a televised ceremony.Israeli forensic analysts determined that the remains did not belong to her. Hamas later acknowledged the possibility of a mistake and handed over the correct remains late on Friday night.In an effort to ensure that a similar scenario does not repeat, the Israeli authorities are working to immediately identify the four bodies.The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it would also hold a short ceremony for the deceased after identification and upon repatriation, led by the military’s chief rabbi, during which their coffins would be wrapped in Israeli flags.Fatima AbdulKarim contributed reporting from Ramallah in the West Bank.
