On Monday, in accordance with a ceasefire agreement, Israel identified the bodies of four deceased hostages returned by Hamas. Among them were two Israeli nationals, Guy Illouz, 26, and Yossi Sharabi, 53, as well as Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old from Nepal, and Daniel Peretz, 22, an Israeli-South African dual citizen.
Following this development, Israeli authorities announced plans to restrict aid entry into Gaza and delay the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, citing Hamas’s failure to relinquish the bodies of 24 additional deceased hostages. Israel’s defense minister warned that any delay in returning these remains would be considered a severe violation of the agreement.
Hamas has indicated that the retrieval of the hostages’ bodies may be prolonged due to uncertainty regarding their burial sites. On the same day, 20 living hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that forensic testing had confirmed the identities of the deceased hostages. Illouz was allegedly abducted after escaping an attack on a music festival and later died due to lack of medical care while in captivity. Joshi, an agriculture student, reportedly died shortly after his capture, while the circumstances surrounding Sharabi’s death remain under investigation.
The Hostages Families Forum expressed support for the families of the recovered hostages while emphasizing the need for all remains to be returned. Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing as Hamas sources assert that some bodies are trapped under rubble, complicating recovery efforts. A ceasefire agreement previously acknowledged the possibility of delays in locating all bodies.
Concerns have arisen regarding the potential impact of these delays on the ceasefire. Reports indicate ongoing violence in Gaza, with recent Israeli drone strikes resulting in additional casualties. The situation continues to evolve, demanding close attention from both parties involved.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx27ye11ey2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss