CNN —

On Tuesday, Hamas announced its plan to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including the group’s youngest captives, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, on Thursday.

Additionally, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’ negotiating team, communicated that six living hostages would be released on Saturday, surpassing the previously expected number of three.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that a deal was struck during negotiations in Cairo, focusing on the transfer of “four deceased hostages” on Thursday and “six living hostages” on Saturday.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister’s Office mentioned that “four additional deceased hostages are anticipated to be returned to Israel next week.”

A representative from the Israeli Hostage Families Forum stated that the families of all hostages scheduled for release, both deceased and alive, have been informed.

As part of the ongoing situation, Israel is likely to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli captives, consistent with recent trends.

This development provides clear evidence that the Bibas children, who were tragically aged nine months and four years respectively at the time of their abduction in October 2023, have likely passed away.

Israel has yet to verify the deaths and has not provided public commentary regarding Hamas’ statement.

A source in Egypt, familiar with the negotiations, confirmed to CNN that fruitful discussions among Egyptian, Qatari, Israeli, and American officials led to Hamas agreeing to release the remaining hostages during the first phase of the truce on Saturday.

In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed along with their mother in an Israeli airstrike and released a video of their father Yarden, also a hostage, who blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their demise.

An Israeli military spokesperson referred to the video as “psychological terror” while military officials informed family members there was a possibility the children may not be alive, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum spokesperson.

Hamas successfully released Yarden Bibas alive on February 1.

The Bibas family, especially young Kfir, has become emblematic of the many victims of the terror attacks on October 7.

Kfir’s image, featuring the toddler holding a pink elephant toy and smiling toothlessly, has been prominent on posters advocating for the release of hostages, displayed throughout Israel and globally over the past 15 months.

The announcement from Hamas coincided with Israel’s intention to initiate discussions regarding the second phase of the Gaza hostage ceasefire agreement.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar indicated that negotiations might commence “this week” following prior talks with “our American allies.”

He expressed a commitment to strive for an agreement by the 42nd day of the truce, as outlined in the original arrangement, while also mentioning the potential for a prolonged agreement as a “possibility.”