Israel Sets Deadline for Hamas to Return Hostage Remains

Israel has reportedly set a deadline for Hamas to make progress on returning the bodies of hostages by the end of Tuesday. Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was to return 28 deceased hostages, but only four bodies have been released so far. Mediators suggest Hamas is struggling to locate all the remains; however, Israel believes some are being deliberately withheld.

On Monday, Hamas released the final 20 living hostages taken on October 7, 2023, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of a peace plan. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that failing to hand over the bodies would violate the agreement and could lead to consequences.

Families of the deceased have expressed their distress. Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar, whose body was taken during the October 7 attacks, described the lack of a handover as a violation of the peace deal, emphasizing that the struggle continues until all captives return.

The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated that Hamas's failure to release all of the bodies "must be met with a serious response."

An Arab diplomat involved in mediation efforts told Haaretz that mediators are working on the issue and do not believe the Gaza agreement is in jeopardy.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acknowledged the challenges in retrieving the remains, citing difficulties in locating bodies amid the rubble. ICRC spokesperson Christian Cardon noted that handing over remains is a "massive challenge" and emphasized that it should be a top priority for all parties involved.

Hamas has so far handed over four caskets, which were taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification. The Israeli military has identified two of the bodies as Guy Illouz, 26, and Bipin Joshi, 23. Illouz was shot at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and died of his wounds in a Gaza hospital. Joshi, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Alumim kibbutz, where he was studying local farming methods.

The other two bodies are believed to be those of Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Perez. Sharabi, 53, from Be'eri kibbutz, was kidnapped from his home on October 7, 2023. The cause of his death is unknown. Perez, a platoon commander in the 7th Armored Brigade's 77th battalion, was killed near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military reported that it had opened fire to remove a threat posed by individuals approaching its forces in northern Gaza, resulting in at least six Palestinian deaths in two separate incidents.