Israel is accusing Hamas of deliberately delaying the return of the bodies of slain hostages, rejecting the terror group’s claim that it needs more time to collect all 28 remains promised under the ceasefire deal, Channel 12 reports.

Hamas has so far released only four bodies, which are currently being transferred out of Gaza by the IDF. The group told mediators that “limitations beyond our control and constraints in the field” prevented it from handing over more. It did not claim to have lost track of the bodies, only that retrieving them would take additional time. Some of the hostages’ remains may also be in areas currently under IDF control.

The four caskets handed over to the Red Cross earlier this evening in southern Gaza are said by Hamas to be those of Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and IDF Capt. Daniel Perez. The Red Cross transferred the bodies to the IDF, which said the caskets will be taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for identification, a process that could take up to two days.

Before the caskets were taken out of Gaza, the IDF held a short ceremony led by a military rabbi. The caskets were draped in Israeli flags as troops saluted and recited Tehillim.

Israeli officials are skeptical of Hamas’s explanation and believe the terror group is intentionally stalling.

“We 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,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said earlier in a video statement. “We demand that Hamas uphold its part of the agreement. We do not forget them for a moment and will not rest until all return to their families and to burial in Israel.”

Israel has not confirmed that the bodies are those of the hostages Hamas claims. In a previous handover on February 20, 2025, Hamas gave Israel four bodies it said were those of hostages Shiri Bibas, her sons Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz. Forensic testing later revealed that one of the bodies belonged to an unidentified Palestinian woman from Gaza, rather than that of Shiri Bibas. Hamas later transferred Bibas’s actual remains the following day.

The IDF says it will verify the identities of the latest four remains before making any official confirmation.

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