Israel expects four slain hostages to be returned by Thursday; if no further hostages released by March 8, ToI told, ceasefire will end

Israel is expecting the remains of the four remaining slain hostages from the first phase of the hostage deal to be returned by Hamas, as scheduled, on Thursday, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel. The official adds that there are ongoing efforts to move up the release.

Once that final release of hostages envisioned in the first phase happens, says the official, Hamas has three choices.

One: It can agree to Israel’s terms — that it disarm, that its leaders go into exile, and that it give up any civil control over Gaza — and then Israel will move to the second phase of the deal, which would see all hostages released and the war come to an end.

Two: Hamas can also continue releasing hostages and extend the ceasefire.

Or three, says the official, Hamas can choose the end of the ceasefire, which would mean a return to all-out war. “It would be different,” says the official. “A new defense minister, a new chief of staff, all the weapons we need, and full legitimacy, one hundred percent, from the Trump administration.”

“The gates of hell will be opened, as they say.”

After the release of the bodies on Thursday, says the official, Israel will give Hamas some time to decide what it wants to do. But if there isn’t another release of hostages by next Saturday, March 8, Israel will consider the ceasefire over.

Israel expects US special envoy Steve Witkoff to come to Israel in the coming days, despite his postponing the trip scheduled to begin tomorrow. “He is waiting for things to be a bit more ripe.”

The official adds that Israel has set up teams to work out the details of how to make US President Donald Trump’s proposal to allow voluntary migration from Gaza a reality, and to find countries to take in Gazans.