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Families of Israeli hostages on Monday, called for an immediate suspension of the next phase of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement, insisting that Hamas must first return the remaining bodies of deceased captives still held in the enclave.
In a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the families accused Hamas of deliberately withholding the bodies and urged Israel and international mediators to halt further implementation of the truce until full compliance is achieved.
“Hamas knows the exact locations of every deceased hostage,” the forum said.
“Two weeks have passed since the deadline outlined in the ceasefire deal, yet 13 hostages, including Israeli citizens and foreign nationals, remain unreturned.
“We call on the Government of Israel, the U.S. administration, and all mediators to freeze the process until every hostage, living or deceased, is brought home.”
The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, marked the end of the 2-year-long Gaza war that began with Hamas’s cross-border assault on Israel in October 2023.
That attack left 1,221 people dead and 251 others taken hostage.
In response, Israel launched a prolonged military campaign that devastated Gaza, killing at least 68,500 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures the United Nations considers credible.
Under the terms of the truce negotiated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 15 of the 28 Israeli captives already confirmed dead.
However, the militant group says it is still searching for 13 more bodies, 11 Israelis and two foreign workers from Thailand and Tanzania, claiming that Israeli bombardments and collapsed infrastructure have complicated recovery efforts.
Lead Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told reporters on Saturday that “many of those who buried the bodies were themselves killed, and the landscape of Gaza has been drastically altered by Israeli airstrikes.”
To assist in the recovery, Egypt has deployed engineering crews and heavy machinery into Gaza, with Israel’s approval, to help locate and retrieve remains buried beneath rubble.
While the truce remains largely intact, the U.S. administration has yet to announce a timeline for advancing to the next stage of the agreement.
Washington is reportedly working with regional partners to establish an international security mission comprising Arab and Muslim troops to monitor the ceasefire and oversee reconstruction.
Meanwhile, humanitarian groups have urged Israel to ease restrictions on aid deliveries through the Rafah border crossing.
Though Israeli forces have pulled back from Gaza’s main cities, they continue to hold positions along a “Yellow Line” that divides much of the territory and limits access to critical relief supplies.
The families of hostages say that until all remains are accounted for, “there can be no moral or political justification for progress.”
Israeli hostage families urge suspension of Gaza ceasefire progress until all bodies are returned
