Israel identifies bodies of two more possible hostages after Hamas releases their remains.
In a development that brings some closure for the families of those taken captive, Israel has confirmed the identities of two additional hostages whose remains were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross on Sunday night. Ronen Engel, a 41-year-old father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker who was killed in an attack at Kibbutz Be'eri, are among those whose remains have been returned to Israel.
The handover comes as part of the ceasefire plan brokered by the United States that aims to bring an end to two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. Since the agreement took effect early this week, Hamas has released 20 living hostages and the confirmed remains of at least 12 others. However, the Israeli government is still waiting for information on the whereabouts of several other hostages whose bodies are unaccounted for.
As part of the deal, Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 250 people serving life sentences, in exchange for Hamas' agreement to hand over all remaining living and deceased hostages. The released Palestinians include those who were detained without charges since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
The bodies of at least four more confirmed hostages have been handed over by Hamas since Monday, including three more on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. However, the group also returned one of the released remains to Israel on Friday.
Israel has so far returned the bodies of at least 135 Palestinians to Gaza as part of the ceasefire plan. However, tensions remain high, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent days. On Sunday, militants shot at troops in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to the agreed-upon ceasefire lines.
The Israeli government has announced that it will not open the critical southern border crossing of Rafah until Hamas fulfills its part in returning abductees and implementing the agreed-upon outline. Hamas has responded by calling this move a "blatant violation" of the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has issued a statement alleging that Hamas is planning to attack Palestinian civilians, prompting concerns that the fragile ceasefire may be on the verge of collapse.
In a development that brings some closure for the families of those taken captive, Israel has confirmed the identities of two additional hostages whose remains were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross on Sunday night. Ronen Engel, a 41-year-old father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker who was killed in an attack at Kibbutz Be'eri, are among those whose remains have been returned to Israel.
The handover comes as part of the ceasefire plan brokered by the United States that aims to bring an end to two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. Since the agreement took effect early this week, Hamas has released 20 living hostages and the confirmed remains of at least 12 others. However, the Israeli government is still waiting for information on the whereabouts of several other hostages whose bodies are unaccounted for.
As part of the deal, Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 250 people serving life sentences, in exchange for Hamas' agreement to hand over all remaining living and deceased hostages. The released Palestinians include those who were detained without charges since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
The bodies of at least four more confirmed hostages have been handed over by Hamas since Monday, including three more on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. However, the group also returned one of the released remains to Israel on Friday.
Israel has so far returned the bodies of at least 135 Palestinians to Gaza as part of the ceasefire plan. However, tensions remain high, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement in recent days. On Sunday, militants shot at troops in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to the agreed-upon ceasefire lines.
The Israeli government has announced that it will not open the critical southern border crossing of Rafah until Hamas fulfills its part in returning abductees and implementing the agreed-upon outline. Hamas has responded by calling this move a "blatant violation" of the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has issued a statement alleging that Hamas is planning to attack Palestinian civilians, prompting concerns that the fragile ceasefire may be on the verge of collapse.
finally some good news after all those months of uncertainty... it's amazing to see these two guys getting their bodies back home 
my thoughts are with Ronen Engel's family and Sonthaya Oakkharasri's loved ones, can't imagine how hard this must be for them 
. the whole situation is still super complicated, but I guess it's a step in the right direction... 2 years of conflict is just too long 
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can finally see some real progress and peace in the region 
gotta feel bad for the families of those hostages who just got their loved ones back... but also so frustrating with the back-and-forth between Israel and Hamas 
like, can't they just make this work already? 
20 living hostages released, 12+ confirmed remains handed over... that's some good news, I guess... but what about all the others who are still MIA? 
And now they're threatening to close off the Rafah crossing... what's next? 
this whole thing is just so draining... 
my heart goes out to their families, hope the ceasefire plan sticks this time 
. This whole thing is super complicated and I don't think we're gonna see an end to this conflict anytime soon 
.
. 20 living hostages already released, and at least 12 others have been returned... it's a start, but we need to keep pushing forward 
. i know there are still so many unknowns and tensions between the two sides, but i believe that every effort to bring closure to these hostages' loved ones is a step in the right direction 
. and can we talk about how amazing the US was for brokering this ceasefire plan? it's a huge win for everyone involved 
. of course, there are still concerns about the fragile state of the peace, but let's focus on the good stuff here 
.
. My heart goes out to Ronen Engel's family and Sonthaya Oakkharasri's loved ones who have to deal with this 
It's like, the agreement was supposed to bring peace, but now everyone's all like "wait a minute" 
...
. It's essential for all parties involved to remain committed to the agreement and work towards a lasting resolution 
. I hope that both sides can come together to find a peaceful solution that prioritizes human life and dignity 
.
. The US is helping facilitate this deal, which means 2k Palestinians just got a second chance 
. Now let's hope both sides can stick to the agreement and make peace work out 
Hamas did too, you know? Like, we cant just pick and choose which side is innocent here... Ronen Engel was a married dad of 3 with kids 
, hes got a whole family waitin for him to come home 
Sonthaya Oakkharasri was a poor Thai worker who lost his life in an attack 
. It's crazy to think about how many people have been caught up in this conflict - 2,000 Palestinians released by Israel, and who knows how many more still unaccounted for? 
It's such a relief for the families and I hope it brings closure to them 
meanwhile, israel still waiting to know what happened to some of the other hostages... that's like, super frustrating. 
. But now that some hostages have been released and bodies handed over, it's still kinda tense... I mean, who knows what really went down with all those people who are still missing? 