Hamas Says Will Hand Over Four Hostages' Bodies in Private

Hamas will forgo its usual handover ceremony when it returns the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Wednesday night, with Israel expected to free more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, the militant group said.

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The swap will be the final one under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that went into effect on January 19.

Mediator the United States said efforts were underway to secure a second phase of the deal, whose complexity and drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility.

Hamas's armed wing said Wednesday that under the "framework of the deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades has decided to hand over the bodies of four hostages tonight".

A Hamas official told AFP that in return, Israel would release 625 Palestinian prisoners.

The official also said the return of the four bodies "will take place without public presence to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction".