Israel Sees Progress in Return of Hostage Remains from Gaza as Tensions Remain High.
In a significant development, Hamas has handed over the remains of at least seven confirmed Israeli hostages since the peace deal took effect last week. The Palestinian group had agreed to return all 20 living and 28 deceased hostages by Monday, October 13, in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
According to sources close to the talks, two more coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages arrived in Israel late on Wednesday, after being transferred from Gaza. Israeli officials said that the coffins were being taken to a forensic center for identification. While this marks progress in the return of hostage remains, at least 20 people are still unaccounted for.
Hamas has acknowledged that it requires extensive efforts and specialized equipment to locate the remaining bodies, buried under the rubble of Gaza's devastating conflict. The group also stressed its commitment to uphold the peace agreement and hand over all the hostages, as mandated by the deal.
However, some critics have accused Hamas of delaying the return of the remains. Despite returning 20 living hostages as agreed upon, only four deceased Israeli captives had been handed over earlier this week. Hamas had transferred an additional four bodies on Tuesday, but one of them was later revealed not to be a hostage.
The US has expressed frustration with the delay in the return of the hostages, with senior advisers stating that "nobody is getting left behind." They noted that it would have been impossible for Hamas to mobilize and retrieve all 28 bodies from Gaza's rubble. The US has also begun sharing Israeli intelligence with Hamas to assist in finding the missing remains.
Interestingly, Turkey has offered to provide expert teams to search for and retrieve remains in exchange for help in rescuing people during its frequent earthquakes.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described Hamas's initial return of only four bodies as a "violation of the agreement." He warned that any further delays or deliberate avoidance would be met with a strong response. President Trump also stated that unidentified parties were working on locating some remains, adding to the confusion surrounding the deal.
Critics of the peace plan, including families of hostages and Israeli officials, have called for the entire agreement to be shelved until all remaining hostages' remains are returned by Hamas. However, senior US advisers urged patience, saying they are not yet at a point where they feel that the agreement has been violated.
Despite this progress, significant hurdles remain in resolving the deal. Hamas demands an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza entirely, which is non-negotiable for Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that demilitarization and disarmament must also be part of any agreement, adding to the complexity of the negotiations.
In a significant development, Hamas has handed over the remains of at least seven confirmed Israeli hostages since the peace deal took effect last week. The Palestinian group had agreed to return all 20 living and 28 deceased hostages by Monday, October 13, in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
According to sources close to the talks, two more coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages arrived in Israel late on Wednesday, after being transferred from Gaza. Israeli officials said that the coffins were being taken to a forensic center for identification. While this marks progress in the return of hostage remains, at least 20 people are still unaccounted for.
Hamas has acknowledged that it requires extensive efforts and specialized equipment to locate the remaining bodies, buried under the rubble of Gaza's devastating conflict. The group also stressed its commitment to uphold the peace agreement and hand over all the hostages, as mandated by the deal.
However, some critics have accused Hamas of delaying the return of the remains. Despite returning 20 living hostages as agreed upon, only four deceased Israeli captives had been handed over earlier this week. Hamas had transferred an additional four bodies on Tuesday, but one of them was later revealed not to be a hostage.
The US has expressed frustration with the delay in the return of the hostages, with senior advisers stating that "nobody is getting left behind." They noted that it would have been impossible for Hamas to mobilize and retrieve all 28 bodies from Gaza's rubble. The US has also begun sharing Israeli intelligence with Hamas to assist in finding the missing remains.
Interestingly, Turkey has offered to provide expert teams to search for and retrieve remains in exchange for help in rescuing people during its frequent earthquakes.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described Hamas's initial return of only four bodies as a "violation of the agreement." He warned that any further delays or deliberate avoidance would be met with a strong response. President Trump also stated that unidentified parties were working on locating some remains, adding to the confusion surrounding the deal.
Critics of the peace plan, including families of hostages and Israeli officials, have called for the entire agreement to be shelved until all remaining hostages' remains are returned by Hamas. However, senior US advisers urged patience, saying they are not yet at a point where they feel that the agreement has been violated.
Despite this progress, significant hurdles remain in resolving the deal. Hamas demands an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza entirely, which is non-negotiable for Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that demilitarization and disarmament must also be part of any agreement, adding to the complexity of the negotiations.
, but at the same time its def worrying that some people are still unaccounted for 
. i feel bad for israeli families who have been waiting for so long to get closure on what happened to their loved ones. and like hamas says they need help finding those bodies because its hard terrain and all 
, so maybe we should be supporting them in any way we can? like the us sharing intel with them or something? 
. I mean, 20 living hostages were handed over already, but where are the rest? It's not fair to leave families of hostages in the dark, you know? The US is trying to help with intel and stuff, but it still feels like an excuse for Hamas to drag their feet 
. Israel's being super strict about this too, like if they don't get all the bodies back on time, there'll be consequences... I just wish they'd get on with it already 
. Can't we just have a clear plan to find these people?
So, it looks like things are moving forward with the hostage deal, but honestly, I'm still super frustrated about all these unaccounted for remains 
Like, I get it, international cooperation and all that, but come on... 
. Meanwhile, Israel's still not budging on the demilitarization part, which is a major sticking point 
.
. If Hamas demands complete removal and Israel won't budge, it's hard to make progress. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out 
. The US is sharing intel, and Turkey is offering help...it's like building a bridge between nations 
. Let's hope this cooperation leads to a better outcome 
. Will Hamas be able to locate them with specialized equipment? Only time will tell 
28 ppl gone, some living but many more not so lucky...this deal better work out 
US trying to help, Turkey offering expertise too? 
hope they can find those remaining bodies and bring closure
. I mean, we're glad Hamas is following through on their end, but those US officials are getting a bit too salty about it 
. Have anyone else got thoughts on this?
A lot of people are getting frustrated, but no one's really taking responsibility for finding those remaining bodies. It's all just a bunch of empty words and promises... 
i mean, have you seen how quickly the US started sharing intel with Hamas? 
and don't even get me started on Turkey offering their help in exchange for something... it smells like a trap 
.
. Whats frustrating is that US is frustrated with the delay but its probs hard 4 them 2 mobilize & retrieve all those bodies from Gaza's rubble 
. Turkey offerin 2 help search 4 remains in exchange 4 earthquake rescue is a nice gesture 
. I dont think we should be judgin Hamas just yet, lets see how this whole process unfolds 
. Can't we all just talk about this and find some way forward that doesn't involve so much bloodshed? I guess only time will tell if this deal actually holds up...
like they're trying to help or something. Turkey offering expertise to search for remains in exchange for earthquake rescue? that's actually kinda cool I guess 
but at the end of the day, it's all about those missing remains 
And can you believe that there's still 20 people unaccounted for? Like what even is going on here?! The US and Turkey are trying to help, but I just don't get why Hamas is being so slow 
. I mean, four coffins already? That's progress, right?! 