Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Red Cross vehicle arrives ahead of Hamas handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, Shiri Bibas and her two young children Kfir and Ariel, and Oded Lifshitz, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 20, 2025. In the background is a stage set up by Hamas with a propaganda message and four coffins. (Screen grab/YouTube)
Coffins apparently containing the bodies of four slain Israeli hostages are being handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross at a stage set up by the terror group in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, in front of a large crowd of Palestinians.
Hamas terrorists carry the coffin apparently of a slain Israeli hostage as they hand over four such coffins to the Red Cross inKhan Younis, Gaza, February 20, 2025 (Screenshot)
The coffins are carried by masked Hamas terrorists from the stage to the waiting Red Cross vehicles nearby.
Red Cross officials set up screens to partially obscure the process, as they load one coffin after the other into their vehicles.
Red Cross representatives receive coffins apparently containing the bodies of four Israeli hostages, Shiri Bibas and her two young children Kfir and Ariel, and Oded Lifshitz, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 20, 2025. In the background is a stage set up by Hamas with a propaganda message. (Screen grab/YouTube)
They also cover the coffins in white fabric, though Hamas operatives are walking around in between them and taking pictures.
Live footage broadcast on Al Jazeera also shows the coffins being handed over.
The Times of Israel and other Israeli media outlets are not showing live footage of the Hamas propaganda event, out of respect for the dead. Neither is much of the international media.
Hamas has said it is handing over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz.
The Red Cross will bring the bodies to IDF troops in Gaza.
Upon receiving the bodies, the military will carry out a short military ceremony led by IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim, before taking the slain hostages to the Abu Kabir forensic institute for identification. The identification process could take up to 48 hours.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 20, 2025
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