Mourners gather around the car carrying the coffin of slain hostage Shlomo Mantzur, during his funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A funeral procession for a mother and her two young sons whose remains were handed over by Hamas is being held Wednesday morning in Rishon Lezion, Israel.

Tens of thousands of mourners Feb. 26 lined the streets as the funeral procession for Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, made its way nearly 40 miles from Rishon Lezion in central Israel to Tsoher Regional Cemetery in southern Israel.

Thousands of Israelis thronged streets along the country's central city of Rishon Lezion on Wednesday (February 26) to pay their respects to Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Kfir and Ariel, who were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7,

Israelis bid farewell to hostage Ohad Yahalomi, the last of eight Israelis whose remains were returned during the first stage of the ceasefire with Hamas. (AP video from Rishon Lezion

The procession commenced in Rishon LeZion, with mourners lining the streets, many holding orange balloons—a symbol representing the red hair of the Bibas children. The route passed through several towns,

Itzik Elgarat, who was murdered while in Hamas captivity in Gaza and whose body was returned to Israel last week, was laid to rest at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Monday. As the funeral procession set out from Rishon LeZion toward Nir Oz,

Mourners gather around the car 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.

“During an inspection cruise by the Marine Unit inspectors 2.5 miles off the coast of Rishon Lezion following a trawler, three dolphins were suddenly spotted,” reported Guy Levian, the director of the Marine Unit area at the Nature and Parks Authority. “The three played in the waves for several minutes and continued on their way.”

The first phase of the ceasefire that paused 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas militants is set to end on Saturday. It’s unclear what comes next.

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.

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.