Hamas has handed over all the Israeli hostage remains in Gaza that it could recover, but 19 remain unaccounted for. The group returned two more coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages to Israel, but one of them was not a hostage. Since the peace plan took effect last week, Hamas has been accused of delaying the return of the remains of Israeli hostages still believed to be in the Palestinian territory.
The US is sharing intelligence with Hamas to assist in finding the remaining bodies, and Turkey has offered to help by sending expert teams to search for and retrieve remains. The deal, which called for Hamas to hand over all remaining hostages — 20 living and 28 dead — by Monday, Oct. 13, was seen as a cornerstone of the Gaza peace plan.
However, Hamas’ initial return of only four bodies was deemed a “violation” by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. The group wants the Israeli military to withdraw entirely from Gaza, but Netanyahu says this is not part of the deal. The US and Israel are urging patience, but tensions remain high as negotiations continue.
The peace plan still faces other considerable hurdles, including Hamas’ rejection of disarmament calls. Despite the challenges, both sides hope for a peaceful resolution, with Netanyahu expressing his desire to avoid violence.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hamas-says-handed-over-all-israeli-hostage-remains-it-could-recover