According to The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Hamas has violated the first phase of the cease-fire agreement negotiated in part by President Donald J. Trump.
Hamas agreed to release the 20 living hostages it took in the brutal October 7 attack on Israel that occurred 2 years ago. The terror group also agreed to return the remains of 28 deceased hostages. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Hamas only released four of them.
The organization said it was “shocked and dismayed.”
“This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice. The families of the deceased hostages are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow,” the forum wrote. “We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.”
The Times of Israel reports:
There has not been an announcement on the identities of the four, and there has been no confirmation from Israeli authorities on the number of bodies expected today.
Several families of dead hostages were told by Israeli authorities yesterday that their loved ones’ bodies would not be returned today or tomorrow, and that Israel would spare no effort to locate and return them. However, numerous sources had indicated that the majority of the dead hostages would be returned today or soon afterward.
According to the Times, Hamas said it would be difficult to locate some of the bodies.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum expressed outrage as only four of the 28 deceased hostages are to be returned on Monday, saying “This is a blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas.”https://t.co/yyFqwXrmgy
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 13, 2025
Hamas says it will release only four of 28 bodies today.
That is a violation of the agreement to end the war.
The Hostage Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of the implementation of that agreement until all the murdered hostages’ bodies are sent back.
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) October 13, 2025
