The tragic exchange comes ahead of the planned release of six living hostages on Saturday.

Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including Kfir Bibas, the youngest captive in Gaza, who was taken at just nine months old.

His brother Ariel, 4, and their mother, Shiri Bibas, 33, were also among those returned, along with 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz.

The Bibas family’s abduction in the October 7 attack became a symbol of the horrors committed that day.

The victims’ bodies were handed over in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where armed Hamas terrorists and Palestinian crowds gathered to watch the transfer.

A disturbing propaganda display accompanied the exchange, featuring coffins labeled with photos of the victims and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, depicted with fangs and standing over the Bibas family’s images.

The bodies have been transferred to Israel, where families are preparing funerals to lay their loved ones to rest.

Israeli officials condemned Hamas for its cruel treatment of hostages, and the tragic handover has reignited calls for stronger international action.

Following Thursday’s release, Hamas has agreed to free six living hostages on Saturday—double the originally planned number—after negotiations for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue military operations until all hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated.