Hamas announced it will transfer the bodies of just four slain hostages to the Red Cross on Monday.

The hostages — Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Capt. Daniel Perez — are among the 28 Israelis and foreign nationals confirmed to have been killed while in Hamas captivity. The terrorist group did not specify when the transfers would take place, though Israeli officials said preparations were underway.

In a brief statement released through its Telegram channel, Hamas said the bodies would be returned “today,” but gave no details about the timing or location of the handover. Israeli officials said they expect the International Committee of the Red Cross to oversee the transfer, in coordination with Egyptian mediators.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed in a video statement that Israel had been informed of Hamas’s intention to return the four bodies and called on the group to comply fully with the ceasefire and prisoner-exchange deal.

“We have been informed that later today, approximately four fallen hostages will be returned,” Defrin said. “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.”

Defrin said Israel “demands that Hamas uphold its part of the agreement,” adding that “we do not forget them for a moment and will not rest until all return to their families and to burial in Israel.”

According to Israeli officials, Hamas informed international mediators it does not know the whereabouts of several other bodies — a claim Jerusalem has rejected as implausible and a violation of the negotiated terms.

Guy Illouz, 26, a sound technician for the Israeli rock band Hayehudim, was abducted from the Nova music festival near Re’im on October 7. He reportedly died from untreated wounds while in a Gaza hospital, and his death was confirmed in December 2023.

Yossi Sharabi, 53, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped from his home during the same Hamas onslaught. He was the brother of freed hostage Eli Sharabi and was later confirmed to have been killed in captivity.

Capt. Daniel Perez, 22, a platoon commander in the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade, was killed in combat on October 7 as his unit fought to repel Hamas militants near the Gaza border. The South African-born officer was posthumously promoted and has been recognized for his heroism in the early hours of the war.

Bipin Joshi, a Nepali agricultural student who was working on an Israeli kibbutz at the time of the attack, was also listed among the slain. Israel had previously not confirmed his death but had expressed “grave concern” about his fate.

While the handover represents a step toward closure for some bereaved families, Israeli officials and hostage advocacy groups reacted with frustration over Hamas’s decision to return only a fraction of the slain hostages.

Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire terms finalized last week, Hamas committed to providing full accounting and repatriation of all hostages — living and deceased. Monday’s limited transfer raised fears that the group may attempt to use the remaining bodies as leverage in future negotiations.

“Hamas cannot pick and choose which victims it acknowledges,” one senior Israeli official said. “Every hostage — living or dead — must be returned without conditions. Anything less is a violation of the deal and an insult to their memory.”

As of Monday afternoon, the Red Cross had not confirmed receipt of the remains. Israeli officials said the process could take several hours once the transfer begins, as the exchange is expected to take place inside Gaza under heavy coordination with Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)