Jerusalem, Feb 27 (UNI) Israeli officials said on Thursday that the military would not withdraw from the strategic strip along the Gaza-Egypt border despite a ceasefire agreement that calls for a pullout by Saturday.
In the early hours of Thursday, Israel received the bodies of four hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, marking the final swap under the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal set to expire on Saturday.
Three of the hostages were killed while in captivity, while the fourth died during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the prime minister's office. Forensic experts in Tel Aviv confirmed the identification of the four bodies after Hamas handed them over.