How will Hamas's actions affect the politics of peace?

Hamas has handed over the remains of four Israeli hostages taken during the atrocities committed by the group on 7 October 2023. The circumstances of their abduction and what then ensued were horrific, even by the standards of this conflict.

- SEAN O'GRADY

The remains are of Shiri Bibas and her two sons - Ariel, four, and Kfir, a nine-month-old baby - and Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old retired journalist and peace campaigner. Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, was kidnapped separately and released this month after 16 months in captivity, having been told by Hamas that his wife and children were dead.

Their respective backgrounds underline the cruel and indiscriminate nature of the Hamas action. In the words of the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, “The hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters”, and many more across the whole world are appalled once again.

The way the bodies were returned added to the horror. It is looking increasingly unlikely that Hamas can play any formal role in the governance of Gaza, though equally unlikely that the group, or a proxy successor, can ever be completely destroyed.

Does Hamas care about the way these hostage returns are conducted?

Yes, but not in a way that serves the group well. As with previous exchanges, Hamas sought to exploit things for their own propaganda purposes, with a show of strength by masked gunmen. On this occasion, some mock rockets labelled with the message “They were killed by USA bombs” were placed by the coffins. Behind them was a crude poster depicting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire.