Hamas Hands Over Bodies of 4 Israeli Prisoners Killed by Israeli Army
Gaza, 20 February – (PIC): The military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, handed over the bodies of four Israeli prisoners who were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza. The bodies were given to the Red Cross during an official ceremony on Thursday morning in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis.
According to Palestinian media, the ceremony took place in Bani Suhaila cemetery, which was destroyed by the Israeli army during an attack. The army had previously removed the bodies from the area.
At the site where the handover happened, Al-Qassam Brigades set up a stage with a banner. The background featured a vampire-like image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Alongside pictures of the prisoners’ families, a message in Arabic, English, and Hebrew read:
War criminal Netanyahu killed them with airstrikes.”
At the handover site, Al-Qassam Brigades displayed another message in three languages, stating:
“We will never forgive, and we will never forget. The storm is our history.”
This event was part of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, under which many prisoners were released through a previous agreement. Thousands of people attended the handover ceremony, with hundreds of chairs arranged for civilians. Dozens of armed resistance fighters were also present for security.
A large banner was placed at the site, showing a Palestinian figure with deep roots in the ground while Israeli tanks and warplanes approached. The banner carried an Arabic message that translated to:
“Return of war = Return of prisoners in coffins.”
Earlier, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Ubaida had announced that the bodies of the Bibas family and Israeli prisoner Ode Lifshitz would be handed over on Thursday.
Hamas stated that all prisoners were alive before the Israeli army bombed their location, killing them along with their guards.
Earlier, the Al-Quds Brigades announced that on Thursday, they would return the remains of Israeli prisoner Oded Lifshitz.
The Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that the Bibas family was killed during an Israeli raid in Gaza.
In a press statement, Al-Qassam spokesperson Abu Bilal said that the bodies of the Bibas family would be handed over as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange agreement.
He emphasized that the Israeli army killed these prisoners by bombing their location with airstrikes.
