Israel braced on Thursday for the return of the bodies of infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, the two youngest captives taken by Hamas in their Oct. 7, 2023 attack and among the most potent symbols of the trauma inflicted that day.

The 251 people, mostly Israelis, were taken hostage by Hamas and dragged back into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group launched its bloody surprise attack on Israel that ignited the war. Sixty-five hostages are believed to remain in Hamas' custody in Gaza. Many are believed dead.

Israel will begin negotiations on a permanent end to the war in Gaza and freeing the remaining living hostages held there, its foreign minister said.