A Hamas terrorist convicted of mass murder who was released to the Gaza Strip earlier in the current ceasefire was reportedly present at Thursday morning’s propaganda ceremony in Gaza to mark the transfer to Israel of four hostages’ remains.
Mohamed Abu Warda is responsible for the 1996 Jerusalem bus bombing that killed 44 people. He had been serving 48 life sentences.
Abu Warda was seated in the front row of the Hamas event, which was staged in the Bani Suheila area, east of Khan Yunis, close to the Israeli border.
The ceremony was attended by members of Hamas’ “military wing,” Gazan civilians and terrorists released in previous prisoner swaps. Other terrorists released under the current ceasefire also attended.
In exchange for the hostages’ remains, Israel is expected to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees this Saturday, as per the ceasefire agreement. These include individuals serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis, as well as women and minors detained during the war.
There are now 69 hostages remaining in Hamas captivity, of whom approximately half are believed to be dead. Six more living hostages are scheduled to be released on Saturday.
