In the shadows of the joy sweeping Israel over the return of 20 living hostages taken by Hamas, outrage erupted over the failure of Hamas to return the bodies of all those who died since they were taken after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists.
Only four of 28 bodies held by Hamas in Gaza were being returned on Monday, according to ABC News.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the action a “failure to meet commitments,” of the first phase of the ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
“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.
In a post on X, one group supporting the families of hostages said if Hamas will not honor the agreement, Israel should not either.
“The Hostages Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation until every deceased individual is returned,” the post said.
The Hostages Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation until every deceased individual is returned.
Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators.
An agreement must…
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) October 13, 2025
“Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators,” the post said.
Will the Gaza peace plan be fully implemented?
“An agreement must be honored by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill their part, Israel should not fulfill its part either. We demand all 28 hostages back. We will not give up on anyone, until the last hostage is returned,” the post said.
The group added that “we expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice,” according to ABC News.
The group 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 who died in captivity are returned.
The Times of Israel reported that “numerous sources had indicated that the majority of the dead hostages would be returned today or soon afterward.”
Hamas has said the bodies of hostages Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Israel Defense Forces Capt. Daniel Perez were being returned, according to the Times of Israel.
BREAKING: Hamas has announced the names of the four deceased hostages whose bodies will be returned today.
They are Daniel Perez, Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, and Yossi Sharabi.
Our hearts are with the families of the deceased as they wait for the return of their loved ones for… pic.twitter.com/aPUAd1vau0
— World Jewish Congress (@WorldJewishCong) October 13, 2025
A report in the Telegraph said that Israeli officials have indicated that up to 15 bodies may never be recovered.
The report framed requests from Hamas to Israel not to have its troops in some parts of Gaza were taken as “indicating they did not have full control of the remains.”
According to Reuters, Hamas is claiming that the burial sites of all the hostages who died in Gaza are not known.
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