Israel Increasing Pressure on Hamas to Return Remaining 19 Deceased Hostages

Latest Developments

Pressure on Hamas to Comply With Ceasefire: Israel is increasing pressure on Hamas to return the 19 remaining deceased hostages, as stipulated by phase one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire proposal in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Hamas of “violating the agreement” on October 16 after the terrorist organization released only nine of the 28 deceased hostages. Countering Hamas’s claim that the bodies the group has returned so far were the only ones it could access, a senior Israeli official told Israeli media that “there is a double-digit number of [deceased] hostages [Hamas] can return.”
Netanyahu Updates Trump: Trump reportedly expressed support for Israeli-proposed steps to increase pressure on Hamas after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the president on October 16. The Israeli government’s hostage envoy, Gal Hirsch, told families of the remaining hostages that Hamas would indeed be facing pressure in the coming days to hand over the remaining bodies and comply with the deal, without elaborating further.
Team Reportedly Searching for Bodies: Israeli outlets reported on October 16 that a task force comprising workers from the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar was already in Gaza searching through the rubble to find more deceased hostages. Israel has also reportedly provided the coordinates where it believes the remains of the hostages are located. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera published a video showing what the outlet claimed were Hamas terrorists searching for deceased hostages in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

FDD Expert Response

“A terrorist organization that won’t hand over dead bodies certainly isn’t going to disarm and surrender control. Both the United States and Israel will need to use all available leverage to compel every step of the deal, starting here with the release of dead hostages. Qatar and Turkey should be held accountable every time Hamas reneges.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

“Hamas is required to provide mediators with all information about the locations of the remaining deceased hostages, even if it cannot access those locations. If the terrorist organization is intentionally withholding this information to buy time to reorganize itself in the areas it controls in Gaza, that would constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement. Mediators should make it clear to Hamas that the United States fully supports Israel applying increased diplomatic — and, if necessary, military — pressure to ensure Hamas upholds its commitments under the deal.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor