Israeli officials expressed shock and frustration Monday after Hamas transferred to Israel only four bodies of hostages, far fewer than expected and in violation of the agreement that was supposed to see all hostages — living and dead — returned by midday.
The four bodies, which have not yet been formally identified, arrived Monday evening at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Hamas claimed the bodies were those of Daniel Peretz, Bipin Joshi, Guy Illouz, and Yossi Sharabi, who were among the hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Israeli officials said they do not believe Hamas’s claim that it does not know the whereabouts of other deceased hostages. The small number returned also contradicts previous statements by Hamas during negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, where it had said it knew the location of a larger group of hostages’ remains.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas was obligated to return all hostages — both the living and the dead — by 12 p.m. Monday, marking the end of a 72-hour deadline that began when Israeli forces withdrew to what officials call the “yellow line” inside Gaza.
While Israeli officials had anticipated that a small, single-digit number of bodies might be returned Monday, they did not expect the number to be as low as four.
Israeli defense officials said that if Hamas fails to cooperate fully in the process of returning the remaining bodies, Israel will assume the terror group is deliberately withholding them to retain leverage in future negotiations.
Discussions were underway Monday night in Jerusalem on how to respond to what officials described as a “clear violation” of the deal. Israel still controls more than half of Gaza’s territory and holds significant influence over humanitarian and reconstruction efforts there, including the entry of goods and infrastructure equipment.
Officials said that unless Hamas demonstrates what they described as “100 percent effort,” Israel will impose punitive measures. These could include restricting the entry of mobile homes, bakery supplies, and other materials into Gaza.
At the same time, Israel has sent strong messages to mediators, urging them to pressure Hamas to transfer additional bodies quickly and to prove its seriousness in upholding the agreement.
The developments have clouded what Israeli officials had described as a “historic day,” marking progress in the long and painful hostage crisis that has gripped the country since the war began a year ago.
Government sources said Israel is unlikely to abandon the broader agreement immediately — especially as U.S. President Donald Trump celebrates the end of the war — but frustration, disappointment, and anger are mounting over what is seen as Hamas’s attempt to retain bodies as bargaining chips.
Families of the hostages whose bodies remain in Gaza expressed fury Monday night, calling the partial transfer a “blatant violation” of the deal.
“This is a blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “We demand an immediate halt to the implementation of the deal until all the bodies are returned.”
The group urged both the Israeli government and the mediating parties to respond firmly, saying, “An agreement must be respected by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill its part, Israel should not fulfill its own. We demand the return of all 28 hostages and bodies. We will not give up on anyone — not until the last hostage is home.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hamas’s announcement about returning only four bodies “constitutes a failure to meet its commitments.”
“Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be met accordingly,” Katz said. “The urgent mission we are all committed to now is ensuring the return of all the hostages’ bodies home.”
Dana Or, sister of hostage Dror Or, told Ynet: “After a nearly sleepless night, I woke up to a morning of overwhelming joy and deep sorrow for the repeated abandonment we’ve suffered. Now, with the announcement that only four bodies are being returned, my fears are growing. I call on the people of Israel: Please stay with us and continue to support us until my Dror and the other hostages are brought to their eternal rest in Israel.”
Merav Daniel, mother of hostage Oz Daniel, said she still hopes her son’s body will be among those returned soon. “Of course I wish he were coming home today, but at least I pray he returns under this agreement. It’s nerve-racking. When I see that we are burying him, that will be the moment I can truly accept it’s final. It’s important that the families be supported until the very last hostage is returned,” she said.