Hamas handed over the bodies on Thursday of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, the two youngest captives taken by Hamas in their October 7, 2023 attack and among the most potent symbols of the trauma inflicted that day.

The remains of the youngest and one of the oldest captives seized by Hamas during the attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip are expected to be returned Thursday, an Israeli official said Wednesday.

Israel received the bodies of four hostages Thursday morning, officials said. The bodies were transferred to the Israeli military by the Red Cross inside southern Gaza, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said in a statement.