Earlier this week, another prisoner exchange occurred between Israel and Hamas, freeing a number of Palestinian and Israeli hostages. This is the sixth prisoner exchange since the ceasefire deal between the two groups was reached. Three Israeli hostages who were taken in the October 7th attacks were released by Hamas: Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Alexander Troufanov. After the release, Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners. What initially seemed to be a somewhat promising prisoner exchange inspiring hopes of long term peace was followed by confusion and pain when Hamas released the bodies of four deceased Israelis: journalist Oded Lifshitz, four year old Ariel Bibas, ten month year old Kfir Bibas, and what Hamas claimed was the remains of the children’s mother, Shiri. Upon further inspection, Israel determined that the remains they were given were not those of Shiri, leading to wide public outcry and calls for her to be returned home. 

Hamas has claimed that the Bibas family members died in an airstrike committed by Israel, which Israel has vehemently denied upon receiving the bodies, claiming that Hamas “killed them with their bare hands.” The mix-up of remains has also enraged many who believe that this is a violation of the ceasefire deal, threatening the already delicate agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying that he will “ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement.” Many in the international community, including the U.S. Envoy for Hostages, have condemned Hamas for this mix-up, which Hamas claims is due to Israel bombing of the area where both Israeli hostages and Palestinians reside. 

The ceasefire agreement was put into effect on January 19th, 2025, thanks to the help of the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, after the war that began in October 2023, due to Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel. After over a year of fighting, nearly 62,000 Palestinians living in Gaza have been killed, according to Al Jazeera. This figure includes almost 20,000 children. On October 7th, over 1,000 people, majority Israelis, were killed, and during the war over 1,000 more Israelis have been killed, and nearly 9,000 have been injured. A death toll this high, especially for civilians and children, cannot be justified and will be a huge barrier to future peace negotiations. Despite the Palestinians’ centuries long struggle for their land, it is clear that Israel will not lighten up, at least not under Netanyahu.

One of the biggest problems in this conflict is the fact that there has been over a century of disdain, violence, and tension between the two sides. This buildup of hard feelings makes it difficult for either side to see any sort of compromise, which is why the ceasefire deal was a pleasant surprise for many. Moving forward, the priority needs to be protecting innocent civilians, and the international community needs to begin taking more serious actions in calling out violations of the deal. Though the atrocities committed on the Bibas family are unjustifiable, they do not justify further senseless bombings of civilians in the Gaza strip.

It is hard to say what the next few weeks will look like, since the first phase of the ceasefire deal will be ending soon. The recent mix up with Shiri Bibas’s body and the murder of her children has ignited new fire behind many Israelis, and increased support for Israel after many had begun to feel wary of Israel’s violence and the war as a whole. To truly reach a sustainable peace agreement, cooperation from the international community will be essential, as well as trying to remain objective, an important step that countries like the United States have failed to achieve. The main goal for countries like the U.S. who are attempting to mediate the situation should be peace and security for both Palestinian and Israeli civilians. The best step forward to achieve peace is likely the pursuit of a two state solution, but no solution for peace will succeed if the international community continues to prioritize politics, economy, or political favors. Without objective and human rights-centered mediation, the violence will only continue. 

For more information about the conflict, and updates moving forward, visit our Crisis Index page.