Israeli officials are expressing growing frustration over Hamas’s continued “foot-dragging” in ongoing negotiations regarding the return of the bodies of Israeli soldiers held in Gaza.

According to a report broadcast Monday evening on Channel 13 News, Israeli intelligence now believes that Hamas knows the precise burial locations of at least ten fallen hostages, including Lt. Hadar Goldin and Col. Asaf Hamami, both of whom were captured and killed by the terror group.

Security sources told the network that Hamas is deliberately refusing to return the remains of Goldin and Hamami, viewing the two as “symbols” of Israeli military strength whose return would carry major emotional and political significance for the Jewish state.

Col. Asaf Hamami, commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division, was among the first Israeli officers killed and kidnapped during Hamas’s brutal October 7th massacre. Lt. Hadar Goldin, meanwhile, has been held by Hamas since Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when he was killed in combat and his body abducted by terrorists.

Despite months of indirect talks and international pressure, Hamas has so far refused to cooperate on the matter — prompting a sharp response from Jerusalem. Senior officials described the situation as “intolerable,” saying Israel’s patience is “wearing dangerously thin.”

In a development late Monday night, Hamas announced that it would return one additional body to Israel — a move seen as a partial response to the ultimatum issued by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pressed the terror group to make immediate humanitarian concessions or face further consequences.

Israeli officials have made clear, however, that piecemeal gestures will not suffice. “We will not rest until every one of our sons — living or fallen — is brought home,” one senior defense source said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)