PARIS, Feb 27: Hamas on Thursday handed over to Israel the bodies of four hostages held in Gaza since its October 7, 2023 attack in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
This marked the final swap under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19.
The deal provided for the release of 33 hostages, including eight dead bodies, by March 1, in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel.
Five Thai hostages were also released outside the scope of the accord.
An Israeli group advocating for the release of all hostages from Gaza confirmed "with profound sorrow" the identities of the four bodies returned on Thursday as Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mansour.
Here are snapshots of the four.
French-Israeli national Ohad Yahalomi was seized from his home in Nir Oz kibbutz. His 12-year-old son Eitan, abducted separately, was released in November 2023 during the first truce.
4-day truce begins in Israel-Hamas war, sets stage for release...
His wife Bat-Sheva Yahalomi, also a dual French-Israeli citizen, said the whole family sought shelter in the safe room but the door would not close so her husband stood outside with a gun.
He was wounded in an exchange of fire and she last saw him in front of their home.
The attackers tried to take her and their two younger daughters but she managed to escape with both girls.
Ohad Yahalomi had been announced dead in January 2024 in a video by a group allied to Hamas, information which was never confirmed by the Israeli army. Until Wednesday he had been listed as alive.
An expert on scorpions, he was described as a great lover of the outdoors.
Tsachi Idan was taken to Gaza by Hamas with his hands covered in the blood of his 18-year-old daughter Maayan Idan, who had been shot dead in front of him.
On October 7, 2023 the IT systems developer, who lived in Nahal Oz kibbutz, hid with his wife Gali Idan and three of their four children in their safe room.
His daughter was shot through the door by the attackers as he tried to shield her, and she collapsed into his arms. The whole attack was broadcast live on Facebook by Hamas.
As he was being taken away, his abductors told the remaining family members, "He will come back".
"I love you," his wife said. "Don't play the hero, be smart. Take care of yourself and come back to me in one piece."
Idan had been listed as alive until Wednesday.
Before being taken by Hamas, he worked developing computer systems for restaurants.
Danish-Israeli Itzik Elgarat was shot in the hand during the attack on his kibbutz, Nir Oz, before being captured, according to his brother Daniel Elgarat, quoted by Danish television.
His brother was the last person to have been in contact with him. Subsequently his phone showed it was in Gaza.
He had been listed as alive until Wednesday.
He lived for 12 years in Denmark, where his two children live. He had visited them shortly before the attack. He was a fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv football team.
Born in Iraq, Shlomo Mansour for many years took care of the henhouse in Kissufim kibbutz, of which he was one of the founders. It was in this small community that he was abducted on October 7, 2023.
His wife Mazal Mansour, with whom he lived for 60 years, managed to escape.
The octogenarian had five children. A handyman, he enjoyed gardening and repairing his grandchildren's toys.
Israel said in February 2024 that Mansour had been killed on October 7, 2023 and that his body had been taken to the Gaza Strip.
