# Israel Releases Over 600 Palestinians as Hamas Returns 4 Hostage Bodies

> Hamas transferred the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, while Israel released 642 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange resumed after a brief ceasefire disruption. Prisoners were sent to Ramallah,…

Published: 2026-09-16 · Desk: Latest · Source: The Guardian

Hamas has handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in southern Gaza, while Israel has freed 642 Palestinian prisoners. The bodies, identified by Hamas as Shlomo Mantzur, Tsachi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi, and Itzhak Elgarat, were transported to Kerem Shalom, where initial identity checks were conducted using dental records.

Meanwhile, the released Palestinian prisoners were sent to different locations, including Ramallah, Khan Younis, and Egypt, where 97 deported individuals await acceptance by a third country.

This exchange comes after a brief ceasefire disruption when Israel temporarily halted prisoner releases, citing concerns over Hamas’s handling of hostage transfers. However, both sides have now resumed the process, with Hamas agreeing to discreet transfers and Israel implementing additional identity verification measures. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office, 46 of the released detainees were women or minors.

Original reporting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/26/hamas-gives-up-bodies-of-four-hostages-as-ceasefire-appears-to-get-back-on-track?fbclid=IwY2xjawItcxJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZj-JgiQlOkGO4afqhJYj3msjL-LMSRuKcpxr9bjPXJAcUHsmz1w7325rQ_aem_B7DJeebV0tnWWAOmjyvQtw
HTML: https://tezzfeed.com/latest-news/israel-releases-over-600-palestinians-as-hamas-returns-4-hostage-bodies-1740674648122
Bangladesh desk: https://tezzfeed.com/bangladeshi-news.md
Agent map: https://tezzfeed.com/llms.txt