The terrorist organization informed the mediators that it will begin transferring four hostages at 10:00 PM, and preparations are underway in Israel. The terrorist organization has so far returned only four coffins of the martyrs - Yossi Sharabi, Guy Iloz, Bipin Joshi and one more - and violated the agreement. Negotiations are continuing through the mediators to bring about the release of the remaining martyrs. The families' headquarters demanded that the agreement be suspended until all are returned:"Witnesses to the renewal of the concept"
Itamar Eichner
,
Liha Gordon
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Lior Ben Ari
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Hamas announced to mediators this evening (Tuesday) that it will begin transferring four hostages to Israel at 10:00 p.m., a source involved in the operation told Reuters. Earlier, senior Israeli officials confirmed that another round of the return of hostages was expected, following efforts with the mediators and Hamas to resume the release of the hostages, after
Only four coffins of dead hostages were returned
to Israel last night. The Qatari Al-Arabi channel also reported that Hamas may hand over additional hostages to Israel this evening.
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The Red Cross vehicle in the Gaza Strip. Israel believes Hamas holds additional casualties (Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
Israel believes that Hamas still holds additional hostages, and contacts and pressure are being made through intermediaries to secure their release. At the same time, Israel today transferred 45 bodies of Hamas operatives to Gaza, in accordance with the formula according to which 15 bodies are returned for every Israeli hostage. Four hostages have been returned so far, and although they were returned, Bipin Joshi, who is not an Israeli citizen and therefore was not included in the arrangement, was not included. The bodies were transferred to Gaza via the Red Cross.
More on the topic:
"We disappeared from consciousness": The anger of the families of the fallen
The 24 dead hostages left behind
The Families' Headquarters for the Return of the Abductees demanded this evening from the government to stop implementing the remaining stages of the agreement - until Hamas fulfills its part in full and returns the 24 deceased abductees."The families demand that the Prime Minister reveal to the Israeli public the latest understandings with Hamas and not move forward with implementing the agreement until the last abductee is returned," the headquarters' statement read.
It also reads:"The people of Israel are witnessing the renewal of the conception that led to the October 7 tragedy. A people that abandons its people and fallen is a people that abandons its destiny - history cannot be repeated. There will be no victory and no resurrection until they are all here - until the last captive."
The identified victims: Bipin Joshi, Guy Iloz and Yossi Sharabi (Photo: Headquarters of the Families of the Abductees, from the family album)
The country united yesterday around the release of the 20 live hostages, but it soon became clear that Hamas did not intend to fully abide by the agreement. During US President Donald Trump's speech in the Knesset, it was learned that the organization had only handed over four dead hostages out of 28 - which increased the fear that the rest would be difficult to locate. Israel was furious, and the political echelon decided earlier on sanctions: the Rafah crossing will not open tomorrow, and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip will be reduced, but for now Jerusalem is avoiding harsh statements and is continuing quiet efforts with the mediators.
In the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, before the signing, Hamas said it knew the whereabouts of about half of the dead hostages, but no time frame was set for returning them all. The estimate was that Hamas would return a single-digit number of up to 15 of the dead within 72 hours - when in reality only four were returned: Guy Iloz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi and another dead man whose family asked not to publish his name.
A political source said that "failure to return the dead could undermine the agreement," but also emphasized that a decision has not yet been made as to whether this is indeed a violation - since Hamas said in advance that it would be difficult to return everyone - and that the matter will be examined."We want to exhaust the matter and see where things stand," he explained."It is clear to us that releasing the dead will take a little longer, and we hope that it will work out."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold consultations tonight with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and IDF representatives on the return of the fallen. Until then, the message conveyed to Hamas was that Israel insists on the fallen"no less than the living," and therefore if it does not fulfill its part and do everything to locate them, additional sanctions stipulated in the agreement will be applied against it, and first and foremost, the reconstruction of Gaza will be delayed. In addition to the Rafah crossing and the reduction of aid, Israel, for example, can prevent the entry of caravans and heavy equipment into the Strip, and prevent the opening of bakeries. However, Israel could also be accused of undermining the agreement.
