TEL AVIV, Israel — The bodies of four slain hostages were returned overnight to Israel from Gaza in return for the release of more than 600 Palestinian Arab  prisoners. 

Hamas handed over the bodies of Shlomo Mantzur, 85, Itzik Elgarat, 68, Tsahi Idan, 50, and Ohad Yahalomi, 50, to the Red Cross on Wednesday night in a quiet manner, ending the humiliating ceremonies of released hostages. 

The IDF received their bodies at the Israel-Gaza border crossing and brought them to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Israel for identification and further examination of their cause of death. 

Mantzur, the oldest hostage in Gaza, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7 and was declared killed in captivity by Israeli authorities two weeks ago. 

Born in 1938, Mantzur survived the Farhud pogrom in Iraq and later immigrated to Israel in 1951 with his family where he became one of the and founders of Kibbutz Kissufim.

The Hostage Forum said Mantzur “was an energetic and cheerful man dedicated to giving, a polymath with a strong work ethic” and that it “bows its head in sorrow over the murder of Shlomo and shares in the profound grief of the Mantzur family. There are no words to express the depth of this pain.”

French-Israeli citizen Ohad Yahalomi was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his 12-year-old son Eitan on the morning of October 7 in what is one of the most harrowing stories of that day. Mr Yahalomi was trying to protect his family by guarding the safe room they were in, but terrorists found the family and began bringing them back to Gaza on motorcycles. 

The motorcycle carrying Mr Yahalomi’s wife Batsheva, their 11 year-old daughter Yael, and their nearly three-year-old daughter Liel, tripped before they entered Gaza, causing the mother to flee through the bushes back to Israel. 

Yahalomi and his son Eitan were, however, brought to Gaza and held hostage by terror groups. Eitan was later released in the November 2023 ceasefire, but was subjected to physical and mental abuse during his 51 days in captivity.  

“Ohad was a devoted and loving family man. He was a passionate sportsman and an avid traveler, intimately familiar with every trail and path in the desert he so dearly loved,” a statement from the Kibbutz said after forensics had identified his body on Thursday morning. 

“For years, he worked at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, dedicating his life to the preservation of nature. Out of his deep love for the desert, he co-authored a scorpion field guide with partners and was involved in educational initiatives within the Bedouin community,” it added. 

President Macron issued a statement, saying: “I share the immense pain of his family and loved ones,” he writes. “France lost 50 of its children in the infamy of October 7. The barbaric acts of Hamas must end.”

Danish-Israeli citizen Itzik Elgarat was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 while he was on the phone to his brother Danny who has advocated fiercely for his release since then. 

“He was an integral part of the social fabric, loved spending time at the local pub, hosting friends, and connecting different generations. His great love for soccer and backgammon was well known, and he shone in local games, always with a smile and a warm spirit,” a statement from the kibbutz said. 

Elgarat leaves behind him two children who reside in Denmark. The Danish parliament held a minute silence for Mr Elgarat on Thursday morning. 

On the morning of October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed Tsachi Idan’s home as he was hiding in a safe room from them. They shot through the door and killed his daughter Mayan, and then used their home as a base in the following hours. 

Terrorists then took Idan with them to Gaza where he was killed in captivity. 

Idan’s family said that he will be “brought to eternal rest next to his beloved daughter, Ma’ayan, who was murdered on October 7, while trying to help her father guard the door of the bomb shelter.”

President Herzog said the “entire nation” shares the immense grief of the families, and that the return of their bodies “underscores our moral obligation to do everything in our power to bring back all the hostages, the living to their loving families, and the fallen to be late to rest. Until the last one is home! They are all humanitarian cases, and they must all be returned.”

After Israel delayed the release of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, due to Hamas’ ongoing humiliation of hostages during their release from Gaza, 642 detainees were released from Israeli jails on Thursday morning in exchange for the bodies of hostages. 

Ninety seven prisoners, including those serving life in jail for murder, were sent to Egypt before being deported to other countries. 

With the release of the four bodies from Gaza and the 642 Palestinian Arab  prisoners, the first phase of the ceasefire has now been completed. 

Hamas has said it is willing to enter phase two, where the remaining 59 hostages are expected to be released, a final end to the war agreed on, and Israel withdrawing fully from Gaza. 

An Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity told The New York Sun that Israel won’t leave the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone separating Gaza from Egypt. 

“We will not allow Hamas murderers to once again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to regain strength from smuggling,” the official said, in a reference to smuggling weapons through the Philadelphi corridor. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold consultations throughout the day with ministers and security officials about Israel’s next step, the official added.