Thousands of mourners gathered in Rishon LeZion, Israel, for the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who have become symbols for the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The Bibas family was kidnapped as part of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. Shiri, 32, and her sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old, were killed by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, according to Hamas. An autopsy conducted by Israel, however, does not support this conclusion.

Shiri Bibas’ husband, Yarden Bibas, was also abducted but was released alive earlier in February as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange with Hamas.

Speaking before the funeral, Yarden Bibas said it would be a private family gathering, but that he would not stop people from lining up along the funeral procession to kibbutz Nir Oz, where the family lived.

The Israeli government had delayed the release of prisoners for several days, which Hamas had called “a serious violation” of the ceasefire terms.

Hamas, which is classified as a terror organization by the US, the EU, Germany, and others, also confirmed details of the agreement overnight. The move keeps the fragile ceasefire intact with only a few days left in the first phase of the agreement. Despite repeated accusations of violations from both sides, including Israeli airstrikes, the deal has largely held since it went into effect on January 19.