The bodies of 13 deceased hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
U.S. officials -- including Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- traveled to Israel this week for high-level meetings, discussing the next steps in the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal by withholding the bodies of the remaining 13 deceased hostages thought to have died during or after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has said the return of the remaining bodies "may take some time" due to the destruction.
The Israel Defense Forces said the Red Cross is heading to pick up "a number of coffins of deceased hostages."
The Hostage Families Forum said they’ve learned that only four of the 28 bodies of hostages still believed to be in Gaza will be returned on Monday.
The Hostage Families Forum said they’ve learned that only four of the 28 bodies of hostages still believed to be in Gaza will be returned on Monday.
The group is accusing Hamas of violating the deal, saying "this represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas" and "we expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice."
In another statement, the Families' Headquarters for the Return of the Abductees said it "demands an immediate halt to the implementation of the [ceasefire] agreement" until the bodies of all hostages are returned.
An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said Monday, "We will not rest until the mission is complete. We are prepared for the return of all the fallen hostages, and expect Hamas to abide by the terms of the agreement."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the return of four bodies is a “failure to meet commitments,” of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
“Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a blatant violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly,” Katz said in the statement.
Photos captured the joyous moments some of the final 20 living hostages reunited with their families after they were released on Monday, more than two years after they were taken by Hamas.
Among the final 20 living hostages released were Eitan Mor, Matan Zangauker, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Maxim Herkin, Bar Kupershtein and Evyatar David.
Busses full of freed Palestinian prisoners were greeted in Gaza and the West Bank by jubilant crowds chanting, clapping and waving.
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal said 250 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in the custody of the Israeli Prison Service would be released, along with 1,700 residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, but were arrested after Oct. 7, 2023.
