Israel, Hamas reportedly reach deal to return bodies of four more hostages early

Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to expedite the return of the bodies of four hostages which were originally scheduled to be handed over by Thursday, according to a report from Channel 12 citing Israeli sources.

The handover is part of the ongoing first phase of a broader agreement between the two sides, which includes a temporary ceasefire set to expire on Saturday.

Israel has been pressing for the bodies to be returned ahead of schedule, although the identities of the four hostages have not been publicly disclosed.

In addition to the accelerated handover, negotiations are reportedly continuing to extend the first phase by incorporating additional batches of hostage and prisoner exchanges.

The current deal, which was brokered with mediation from international parties, aims to facilitate the return of hostages while maintaining a fragile pause in hostilities.