Hamas released what it said were the remains of two young children and their mother who were taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Their fates had captivated a nation.

A few hours after Hamas said it would return the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children, her sister-in-law said she had not given up hope of seeing them return home, alive.

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.

Hamas on Thursday put on a macabre handover ceremony in central Gaza to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages taken on October 7, 2023.