Israel wants 4 bodies for 600 prisoners now

The conclusion of the first phase of the truce agreement in Gaza has run aground on the grim exchange of bodies between Shiri Bibas and an anonymous Palestinian woman.

In addition to the UN-described "abominable" spectacle of the four black coffins displayed by Hamas on a stage in the Strip. In retaliation, Israel on Saturday did not release 602 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the last six live hostages released, but on Monday sought a solution with mediating countries . If Hamas immediately returns four more bodies of dead kidnappers, without holding humiliating coffin ceremonies as it did last week with the bodies of the Bibas family and Oded Lipshitz, the Palestinian prisoners will be released.

These are hundreds of people sentenced to long prison terms, many of whom are serving life sentences for terrorist attacks. Hamas has not yet responded officially, but two different officials have provided two conflicting versions: the first, anonymous, told the daily newspaper Asharq al Awsat, that the bodies of two Israeli hostages could be returned in the next few hours. While another official of the fundamentalist group, Mahmoud Mardawi, denied the news, saying that "there is no change in Hamas' position, the enemy must implement the agreement by freeing the 600 Palestinian prisoners". And Israeli sources cited by the national media have also denied progress towards the imminent release of four bodies of kidnapped people. Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, announced that the Islamist organization is ready to accept the request of the mediating countries "on everything related to the hostage release ceremony, to end the crisis and obtain the release of Palestinian prisoners".

Behind the scenes, however, the deal Hamas is calling for appears to have changed face . US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Sunday night that he would seek to extend the first phase of the agreement. "We need to get an extension of phase one, so I will be going to the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate," he told US media, adding that his trip would include visits to Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

With Witkoff's words, the Trump administration has publicly admitted for the first time that it supports Netanyahu's goal of extending phase one of the agreement between Hamas and Israel. According to several analysts, the Israeli prime minister is trying to free all the hostages still in Gaza in a single round, exchanging them for the Palestinian prisoners remaining on the list approved by the agreement. He is therefore intending to move on to plan B, the so-called 'generals' plan': "Israel will return to an intense war in Gaza, create refuge areas for civilians and allow international organizations to distribute food and aid only in those areas," explains Haaretz. The prime minister is reportedly waiting, in addition to the release of all the hostages, both dead and alive, for the installation of the new IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir (on March 6). According to reports, Strategic Affairs Minister and Prime Minister Netanyahu's personal representative Ron Dermer, during two separate talks in Florida with Witkoff last week, handed him a message from the Israeli prime minister stating that "Israel is no longer committed to the Biden administration's three-phase truce plan, even though it has signed it." Phase two of the agreement included, among other things, a complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. Hamas and other terrorist groups are currently holding 63 people hostage in the Strip, including the bodies of at least 36 confirmed dead by the army. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has received an official invitation to Germany from Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz: "It is not possible that the Israeli prime minister cannot visit Germany. This is absurd. Netanyahu will be able to come to the German capital," he clarified, ignoring the ICC's arrest warrant for war crimes.