The Red Cross also collected two more caskets from Hamas and was bringing them to the same location, the IDF said.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Monday, the terror group returned the last 20 living hostages<\/a> it was holding, following the partial withdrawal by the Israeli military in the Strip, and ahead of planned talks on the enclave\u2019s future. However, it remained mum on the fate of the 24 other dead hostages it was holding.<\/p>\n The fate of Joshi, a Nepali agricultural student, had not been confirmed by Israel, but it expressed \u201cgrave concern\u201d about him. Illouz was taken from the Nova festival and succumbed to his wounds in a Gaza hospital, apparently due to a lack of medical treatment. His death was confirmed in December 2023.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Perez, 22, a platoon commander in the 7th Armored Brigade\u2019s 77th Battalion, from Yad Binyamin, was killed battling Hamas on October 7, 2023. Sharabi, 53, the brother of freed hostage Eli Sharabi, from Kibbutz Be\u2019eri, was kidnapped from his home on October 7 and slain in captivity.<\/p>\n \t Vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrive in the south of Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip to receive the second batch of hostages expected to be released, on October 13, 2025. (Bashar TALEB \/ AFP)<\/p>\n The Red Cross will bring their caskets to IDF troops inside Gaza, where a small ceremony, led by a military rabbi, will be held in their memory, the Israel Defense Forces said. The caskets will also be examined by sappers \u201cfor security purposes,\u201d according to the military.<\/p>\n The caskets with civilian hostages will then be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute for identification, while the bodies of slain soldiers will be taken to the IDF\u2019s Shura Camp.<\/p>\n The identification process may take up to two days, according to officials.<\/p>\n The terror group had told mediators it did not know where some of the bodies of the 28 slain hostages were located. Israel was aware of this when it signed the agreement, which demanded Hamas release all the captives, living and dead, within 72 hours of the IDF\u2019s initial withdrawal from Gaza.<\/p>\n The IDF completed its withdrawal by noon on Friday, commencing the 72-hour period. Israel released some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages.<\/p>\n An Israeli official told CNN this week that seven to nine bodies might not be retrieved, while another put the figure at between 10 and 15. The report was not publicly confirmed by Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n According to the Kan public broadcaster, Israeli mediators are intensively working to try to increase the number of bodies released on Monday.<\/p>\n \t Defense Minister Israel Katz (left) and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir are seen at the Knesset, October 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n In response to the limited release of bodies, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that if Hamas were intentionally delaying the return of the dead hostages, it would be a violation of the agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe urgent mission we are all committed to now is to ensure the return of all the fallen hostages home,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n \u201cHamas\u2019s announcement of the expected return of four bodies today constitutes a failure to meet its commitments,\u201d Katz said, adding that \u201cany delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a blatant violation of the agreement and will be met accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel is demanding that Hamas uphold its end of the deal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been informed that later today, approximately four fallen hostages will be returned. Even at this hour, efforts are being made at all levels to exert pressure for the continuation of the process to return the bodies of the fallen,\u201d Defrin said in a video statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe demand that Hamas uphold its part of the agreement. We do not forget them (the hostages) for a moment and will not rest until all return to their families and to burial in Israel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \t Thousands gather at Hostage Square to celebrate the return of the hostages, October 13, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90)<\/p>\n Additionally, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum demanded a \u201csevere response,\u201d calling for an \u201cimmediate halt to the implementation of the agreement until the full and complete release of all the fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe violation of the agreement by Hamas must be met with a very severe response from the government and the mediators,\u201d the forum said.<\/p>\n \u201cAn agreement must be respected by both sides, if Hamas does not fulfill its part, Israel should not fulfill its part either,\u201d the forum said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe demand all 28 hostages. We will not give up on anyone, down to the last hostage,\u201d the forum stated.<\/p>\n Kibbutz Be\u2019eri, one of the communities devastated by Hamas\u2019s October 7, 2023, massacre, also urged an \u201cimmediate\u201d government response to the \u201cdisgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHamas\u2019s failure to abide by the agreement cannot be ignored. A strong response is required from the government and the mediators. We demand the return of all the fallen hostages and express our horror, deep pain, and utter fear that the dead will disappear,\u201d the community said in a statement.<\/p>\n
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