Hamas releases only 4 of 28 hostage bodies, breaks ceasefire agreement on first day

Contrary to the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas only released four of the 28 remaining bodies of Israeli hostages in its possession on Monday. Under the agreement, the group was required to hand over all hostages – both living and dead – by noon on Monday.

On Tuesday morning, Israel Defense Forces announced that the four bodies had been identified and that two of them were Israeli hostage Guy Illouz and the Nepalese citizen Bipin Joshi.

The names of the other two bodies had not been cleared for release by their families at the time of publication.

Hamas had announced it intended to release the bodies of Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Peretz as well.

The IDF received four caskets from the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip on Monday evening. They were taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for identification by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate.

The Hostage Families Forum expressed its shock at receiving the information that only four of the hostage bodies would be released.

“The families of the hostages received with shock and deep dismay the news of the intention to return today only 4 bodies of hostages out of the 28 that Hamas is holding,” the forum stated.

“This is a blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas. We expect the Government of Israel and the mediating parties to act immediately to correct this terrible injustice.”

Later on Tuesday, Israeli hostage czar, Gal Hirsch, vowed, “We will continue and intensify pressure on Hamas until the return of the hostages has been completed."

"The issue was discussed yesterday in the talks between the prime minister and President Trump, and was also expressed last night in [Egyptian] President [Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi’s words.”

“The issue is also being addressed with other international parties and continues in our actions (those of the negotiating team) with the mediators at this very moment," he added.

According to The Times of Israel, Israel, on Tuesday, gave Hamas until the end of the day to make progress on the release of the other 24 bodies.

While sources from mediating countries argued that Hamas would be hard-pressed to locate all of the bodies across the devastated enclave, Kan News reported that Israel believes Hamas is withholding some of the bodies it has already retrieved.

“The writing was on the wall, but only now are we discussing in any significant way the options for response,” an informed source told Kan, adding that the deal signed by Israel didn’t provide effective leverage to pressure Hamas on this issue.

Haaretz cited an Arab diplomat from a mediating country who assured that the negotiators are working on the issue and that the overall ceasefire agreement is not in danger.

Meanwhile, Yael Adar, the mother of slain hostage Tamir Adar, told Channel 12 News that the government “betrayed” the families of the murdered hostages. She said, “They told me that a live hostage is worth 100 Palestinian prisoners, including life-termers.”

She continued, “But a dead hostage is worth 15 Palestinian bodies. Why not 100 dead Palestinians?” Adar argued that Hamas had not technically violated the agreement, claiming it was drafted without a firm deadline for the return of the bodies.

The IDF reported that Guy Illouz, whose body was returned on Monday, had been wounded when he was abducted by terrorists after fleeing the massacre at the Nova Music Festival in the Tel Gama area.

“Guy died from his wounds after not receiving proper medical treatment while held captive by Hamas. He was 26 years old at his death,” the IDF announced.

Bipin Joshi, an agricultural student from Nepal, was 23 when he was kidnapped from a safety shelter on Kibbutz Alumim. “It is assessed that he was murdered in captivity during the first months of the war,” read the statement.

The military vowed that the “final conclusions” regarding the circumstances of their deaths would be determined after the completion of the examination.

“The IDF and the Prisoners and Missing Persons Directorate of the State of Israel express their deep condolences to the families, continue to make every effort to return all the hostages, and are preparing for the continued implementation of the agreement.”

“Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to proper burial.”