TEL AVIV — The Israeli nation watched in anger and pain as the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including two children and their mother, were released from Gaza in a horrific spectacle of terror propaganda. 

Oded Lifshitz, 84, Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir were released in Khan Younis with a stage set up for the occasion, as well as loud speakers, music and dozens of armed and masked Hamas members. 

Hundreds of Israelis gathered at Hostage Square at Tel Aviv and near the Gaza border in pouring rain to pay their final respects, carrying Israeli flags and pictures of the four hostages. 

Orange balloons, a reference to the ginger Bibas children, hung at Hostage square with a message written in Hebrew: “We will not forget and we will not forgive.”

At Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian women, children and men, meanwhile, gathered around the stage to watch Hamas’ show, with loud speakers playing music in Arabic.

Coffins carrying the dead hostages were placed on the stage, each with a picture and the text “date of arrest: 7 October 2023.” 

A large picture of Prime Minister Netanyahu portrayed as a zombie with the hostages in front of him was placed on the stage: “War criminal Netanyahu and his army killed them with missiles,” a text read below him. 

Another poster warned Israel that if it resumes the war in Gaza the remaining hostages will return in coffins. 

“It’s pure nazism,” Channel 12’s diplomatic correspondent Yaron Avraham said as he described the scenes from Gaza. 

Culture and Sports Minister Micky Zohar told The New York Sun that “Israel won’t be quiet” about the degrading treatment of the bodies at Gaza. 

The four bodies were handed over to the Red Cross which drove them to the border crossing with Israel, where soldiers received them.  A short ceremony was held at which a military rabbi read a Kaddish prayer and chapters from the book of psalms, based on requests from the families. 

Israeli soldiers fired ceremonial shots into the air before the bodies were transported in a convoy to the Abu Kabir forensic institute for identification and cause of death. The identification process could take up to 48 hours according to health officials in Israel. 

“Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts, the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters. On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness,” Israel’s President Herzog said as the four bodies were released. 

“Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely. May their memory be a blessing,” Mr. Herzog added. 

Yizhar Lifshitz, son of Oded Lifshitz, told Army Radio that “It doesn’t end today, not for anyone. It ends when everyone is home.”

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli told the Sun that ​​one of the “greatest challenges of the West is recognizing the existence of absolute evil.”

“Against absolute evil, there can be no compromises. A society that does not expel Hamas supporters from within will ultimately place its elderly, its women, and its children in mortal danger. My friends in the Western world — yes, we are at war,” Mr. Chikli added. 

Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Stephanie Hallett, also condemned today’s show at Gaza, calling it a “solemn reminder of Hamas’ unimaginable cruelty.”

“My heart is heavy knowing the remains of four deceased Israeli hostages — including sweet baby Kfir and darling Ariel — have finally returned home. May their memories be a blessing. We won’t rest until all the hostages come home,” she added. 

IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani issued a statement saying: Hamas is parading deceased Israeli hostages. 

“When you see these images, remember: this is who we’re fighting against, a genocidal terrorist organization who celebrates the death of innocent civilians and continues to hold them hostage as leverage for over 500 days. Don’t let Hamas’ propaganda manipulate you,” Mr. Shoshani said. 

The Bibas family and Mr. Liftshizt were all kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. 

Shiri Bibas and her two children have since become symbols of Israel’s struggle as Ariel and Kfir were the two youngest Israelis to be taken hostage, four years and nine months old respectively. 

Argentinian President Javier Milei intends to declare a national day of mourning in honor of the Bibas family who had dual Israeli-Argentine citizens, according to local media. 

Six Israeli hostages are expected to be released from Gaza on Saturday and four bodies of hostages next week.