Hamas transferred caskets containing the remains of two slain Israeli hostages late Wednesday and claimed the bodies of Inbar Haiman and Muhammad el-Atrash were the last they could recover inside the Gaza Strip.
Israel says 19 slain hostages held inside the Palestinian enclave have yet to be returned.
Ms. Haiman, 27, was killed at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Mr. el-Atrash, 39, was from a Bedouin village and was serving in the Israel Defense Forces. He was killed in combat on the morning of the attack. Hamas then took their bodies into Gaza.
On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz offered his condolences to the families of both victims after their remains were returned for burial.
“Inbar was abducted from the Nova party and murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, and Muhammad fell in battle after heroically defending the soldiers of the division with supreme courage,” Mr. Katz said on X.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum insisted that Hamas fulfill its obligations agreed to under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, including the return of the slain Israelis.
“While Hamas continues to violate the agreement and still holds 19 hostages captive, there is no justification for any unilateral concessions by Israel,” the group said on X. “The agreement cannot continue to be implemented without Hamas returning all the hostages.”
The forum added, “As President Trump himself stated, the job is not done. Our loved one has not yet come home as promised.”
Mr. Katz said Israel is “committed to bringing home all the hostages and the fallen.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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