Hamas on Thursday did an about-turn and surrendered the bodies of four Israeli hostages, a woman, her two children, and an 83-year-old man, who were kidnapped when the faction infiltrated the group’s retreat of October 2023. The assignment was conducted by ICRC in Khan Younis, a southern Gaza city under the management of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The solemn ritual was conducted as four men carried each of the coffins, in turn, from a stage to Red Cross ambulances lined up behind. At the back of the stage loomed a huge, inciting poster showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with fangs and blood dripping from his chin onto images of the four Israelis whose bodies were being repatriated. The imagery underscored the deep animosity and propaganda war that continues to define the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
A spokesperson for Hamas claimed that all four captives were alive until Israeli airstrikes targeted the locations where they were being held. “The Zionist occupation aircraft deliberately bombed the sites, leading to their deaths,” the spokesperson said. Hamas further asserted in a statement that it had “preserved the lives of the occupation prisoners” and provided them with humane treatment, despite the challenging conditions in Gaza. The group accused Israel of killing the captives along with their captors during the military operations.
“Criminal Netanyahu is crying today over the bodies of his prisoners who returned to him in coffins, in a blatant attempt to evade responsibility for their killing in front of his audience,” Hamas said in its statement. It cast the Israeli government in a negative mold and itself as a victim of Israeli aggression while justifying its own actions.
A Rare Moment
The occasion for the release of the bodies is a rare moment for Hamas and international organizations to coordinate action, but it is heavy with tension and political messaging; it is also worth noting that ICRC facilitated the transfer but has not made any comments regarding the circumstances of the deaths of captives, simply stating its role as the neutral actor in the field of conflict.
There has been no official response yet from the Israeli government concerning the allegations from Hamas. However, the incident is likely to heat up confrontation between the two sides during a period when Israel is still continuing its military operations in Gaza. The death of captives, whether due to direct or indirect actions, will ignite already heated arguments over the humanitarian cost of the humanitarian wars and strategies deployed by both Hamas and the Israeli army.
For the mourners, closing the door of finality on these months of hope and despair is really closed. The attack Hamas launched in October 2023 resulted in the abduction of dozens of Israelis who included the woman with her two children and elderly man. The people who died from random accidents combined with Israeli military airstrikes revealed how devastating wars really are.
During the transfer ceremony in Khan Younis people witness the ongoing struggle between propaganda forces which follow real combat actions. Hamas seeks to build support through powerful images and confrontational words to direct global public perception while Israel presents its account which highlights Hamas starting hostilities against innocent people.
