The Hostages and Missing Families Forum described it as a 'flagrant violation' of the peace agreement
The Forum recalled that the families of the deceased hostages are "going through especially difficult days filled with deep pain," and reaffirmed its commitment to continue demanding justice. "We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the terms of the agreement and ensure that Hamas pays the price for this violation," they added.
The episode occurs just hours after the release of 20 living hostages, as part of negotiations led by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is currently in Israel overseeing the progress of the ceasefire. Among those released are three Argentinians: David and Ariel Cunio, and Eitan Horn, who had been kidnapped in the Nir Oz kibbutz.
With this release, Hamas no longer holds any Israeli hostages alive, bringing to an end 738 days of captivity that began with the terrorist group's attacks in October 2023.
After the release of the 20 Israeli hostages still alive after being held captive for more than two years by Hamas, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum denounced that only four of the 28 bodies of murdered hostages will be returned today by the Palestinian terrorist group, which it described as a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire agreement reached between the parties.
So far, Israeli authorities have not issued an official confirmation regarding the exact number of bodies expected to be received, nor have they provided details about the location or time of the repatriation. According to Forum sources, the identified bodies belong to Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Perez, whose families are waiting in deep sorrow for the arrival of the remains.
Hamas had previously warned that it was facing "difficulties locating" some of the bodies, an argument the Forum considers unacceptable. "This represents a flagrant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect the government of Israel and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice," the group said in a statement, expressing its shock and dismay at the situation.
