Hamas prepares cynical "ceremony" before handing over Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz

Hamas is preparing another victory "ceremony" today (Thursday) before handing over slain hostages, the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz, to Israel to be buried there after identification.

The ceremony, which will take place east of Khan Yunis, is attended by active Hamas terrorists, Gazans, and terrorists who were freed in previous exchanges for Israeli hostages.

In previous such ceremonies, living hostages were forced to smile and participate in humiliating ceremonies to demonstrate the power and even "benevolence" of the hostage takers. In some cases, the desire of Gazan crowds to do harm to the hostages led to scenes of such terror that the Prime Minister threatened "consequences" if such scenes recur.

Today, after the ceremony, the bodies will be handed off to the Red Cross and then delivered to Israel. They will then be sent to be forensically examined to confirm their identity and, if possible, confirm the cause of their deaths.

The slain hostages being returned for burial include the infant Kfir and five year old child Ariel Bibas, as well as their mother Shiri. Yarden, the father of the family, was recently released in one of the hostage deal exchanges, and until now insisted that his family was alive.

The Bibas family has asked that people not mourn their deaths until there is clear confirmation that the bodies being delivered are indeed theirs.

84-year old peace activist Oded Lifshitz will also be handed over to Israel for burial.

His family has asked to not be asked or spoken to about the death of their loved one in this time.

President Isaac Herzog gave a speech in Rome upon hearing the news of the death of the Bibases:

"Yesterday we all understood that the coming days will be especially turbulent for our nation. Between pain, mourning and grief – with the return of the hostages' bodies tomorrow, to relief and even hope – with the return of our living captive brothers on Saturday. But these days also emphasize two absolute truths for us: First, our supreme duty to bring back all our kidnapped brothers. Until the very last one. Every second they are in the hands of terrorist human monsters endangers their lives. We must act in every way and with all our strength, and bring them home urgently. All of them.

"And the second – the understanding that there is truly absolute and cruel evil here. Evil that murders, tortures and kidnaps mothers and babies out of murderous jihadist motivation, evil that slaughters entire families, evil that continues to commit crimes against humanity even at these very moments. These days are a wake-up call – not just for our nation, but for the entire family of nations. Against this evil, led by the Iranian octopus of evil, we must stand – together – with determination, firmness and courage."