Israel and Hamas have begun working to advance their ceasefire agreement in Gaza to the next phase, but it's unclear if they'll get there and, if not, what comes next.

By Rami Amichay and Nafisa Eltahir RISHON LEZION, Israel/CAIRO (Reuters) - Israelis mourned the family that symbolised the trauma their country suffered in the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, as the Palestinian militant group agreed to free the last hostage bodies included in the initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

Remains of Oded Lifshitz also handed over by Hamas to the IDF. Officials say the identification process revealed they all were murdered in captivity.

At such an event, there is no shortage of things to photograph, but a lot of the time, I felt compelled to keep my camera at my side and watch the moments with my own eyes.

Israeli and Hamas officials say they have reached an agreement to exchange the bodies of dead hostages for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas transferred to Israel the bodies of four hostages on Thursday morning local time as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the Israeli prime minister's office said. The big picture: The return of the bodies completes the release of 33 hostages as part of the first phase of the deal.

The family requested for only invited guests to be at the funeral, however, the general public has been invited to stand along the roads with Israeli flags.

The story of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, came to embody the profound sense of grief experienced by Israelis after Hamas' October 7 attacks. | ITV National News

Thousands of people lined the streets of Israel to pay their respects as the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons made its way to a cemetery.

Mourners gather around the convoy carrying the coffins of slain hostages Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, during their funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Feb.

People wave Israeli flags before the funeral of former hostage Oded Lifshitz in Rishon Lezion, central Israel, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Lifshitz was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 ...

People wave Israeli flags before the funeral of former hostage Oded Lifshitz in Rishon Lezion, central Israel, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Lifshitz was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and his remains were returned from Gaza to Israel last week as part of ...