The ceremony, like previous events held by the terrorist organization, was designed as a propaganda display, inviting local Gazans to attend.
A large banner served as the backdrop of the stage, displaying the faces of Lifshitz and the Bibas family. Above them, Hamas featured an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu depicted as a vampire.
The banner included the message in Arabic, English, and Hebrew: "War criminal Netanyahu & his army killed them with missiles and Zionist warplanes.
Another placard bore the inscription: "The return of the war, the return of your prisoners in coffins.
Hamas also displayed slogans such as "Zionism Nazism in numbers, continuing its long-standing narrative equating Israel with Nazi Germany.
Palestinian security prisoners, who were released as part of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal, were reportedly present in the audience.
Hamas has followed a pattern of staging similar events before each hostage release, using banners and speeches that portray itself as victorious while condemning Israel.
Past events have included slogans like “Victory of the oppressed people vs. Nazi Zionism and Palestinian fighters of freedom will always be victorious.
On Wednesday, Israeli authorities confirmed that the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, along with Oded Lifshitz, would be returned to Israel on Thursday.
The four had been held in Hamas captivity for 503 days after being kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
Their return comes after weeks of negotiations and growing pressure on Hamas to provide information on the fate of Israeli hostages still unaccounted for.
Earlier this month, Yarden Bibas, the father of Ariel and Kfir, was released alive as part of a hostage-prisoner swap.
The Israeli government has vowed to continue efforts to bring back all remaining hostages, while families of the captives have urged the international community to hold Hamas accountable for its actions.
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