Families’ ‘betrayal’ as only four hostages bodies released
Hamas has been accused of violating the ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Israel after the militant group returned the remains of only four dead captives.
Hamas has been accused of violating the ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Israel after the militant group returned the remains of only four dead captives, despite committing to releasing all 28.
Late on Monday Hamas handed over the bodies of Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Illouz and Daniel Peretz to the Red Cross. The coffins were taken to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification, with the Israel Defence Forces saying it would accompany the men’s families to the centre.
“Four coffins of deceased hostages are currently being escorted by IDF and ISA forces on their way to Israel, where they will be transferred to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine for identification procedures,” the IDF said in a statement, urging the public to act with sensitivity.
Before crossing into Israeli territory, IDF soldiers held a ceremony for the deceased, draping their coffins with Israeli flags before saluting them and reciting a chapter from the Book of Psalms.
“Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the IDF said.
However, furious families have said they feel betrayed, with the Hostage Families Forum calling on the Israeli government to immediately suspend the agreement with Hamas until every deceased hostage was returned.
“Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators,” the HFF said in a statement.
Yael Adar, the mother of Tamir Adar, who was murdered on October 7 and whose body was taken to Gaza, told Israeli media: “This day was a terrible day, really. A day that I started with hope, but I ended with a feeling of further betrayal by my country.”
Israel had previously expressed “grave concern” over the fate of Mr Joshi, a Nepali agricultural student who had arrived in Israel only days before he was kidnapped. Mr Illouz was taken from the Nova festival and succumbed to his wounds in a Gaza hospital, apparently due to a lack of medical treatment, with his death confirmed in December 2023. Mr Peretz, 22, a platoon commander in the 7th Armoured Brigade’s 77th Battalion, from Yad Binyamin, was killed fighting Hamas on October 7, 2023, Israeli media reports. Mr Sharabi, 53, the brother of freed hostage Eli Sharabi, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped from his home on October 7 and killed by his captors.
Hamas had warned that it would not be able to return the bodies of all 28 hostages in the 72-hour window it was given to release all hostages. The militant group said some of the bodies were in the hands of other militant groups, while others were buried under the rubble.
However, Israeli media reports that in a briefing on Sunday night, the IDF did not suggest the number retrieved would be so low. Most expected that a larger number would be handed over on day one, with the majority of the others released in the coming days.
Channel 12 TV reports that Israel is considering sanctions on Hamas within the framework of the ceasefire deal to pressure the group to increase its efforts to find the hostages’ bodies.
The deal also outlines that international teams will enter Gaza to help retrieve the bodies, with intelligence help from Israel.
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