Hamas hands over bodies of more Israeli hostages after Donald Trump threatened to ‘violently’ disarm the terror group if it did not return remains to grieving families

Hamas has handed over more Israeli hostages after the US President threatened to ‘violently’ disarm the terror group.

The IDF announced the receipt of four bodies handed over by the Red Cross, following the four handed over previously.

The Israeli army had previously made a statement regarding the release of the deceased Israeli hostages: ‘According to the information provided by the Red Cross, the four coffins of the deceased hostages were transferred to their custody and they were on their way to the IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip.’

The International Committee of the Red Cross announced that it facilitated the transfer of the bodies of four hostages to Israel and the bodies of 45 Palestinians to Gaza today.

“These operations were carried out in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and it is vital that the parties and mediators ensure that the agreement is faithfully observed,” the statement said.

Julian Lerisson, head of the Red Cross in the region, said the organization was ‘ready to fulfill our role for as long as it takes’.

It comes after Donald Trump threatened that Hamas would be forcibly disarmed if they refused to give up their weapons, with the Gaza ceasefire agreement hanging by a thread.

“They will disarm, and if they don’t, I will disarm them,” the president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. ‘They know what I mean.’

An armed Hamas militant stands guard as a Red Cross vehicle arrives to collect the bodies of dead Israeli hostages from Hamas militants.

24 dead hostages whose bodies remain in Gaza. Grieving families expressed their anger and disappointment at not returning the bodies of their loved ones

Trump warned that America was prepared to disarm Hamas ‘quickly and perhaps violently’.

Following the latest handover, British President Sir Keir Starmer issued a statement calling on Hamas to return all the bodies of Israeli hostages it holds and abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

The British prime minister also commemorated the murdered hostage Yossi Sharabi, whose body was returned by Hamas yesterday. Starmer has a British family whom he has met before.

He said in a statement: ‘The release of the bodies of the deceased hostages is an extremely difficult moment for the families who have endured terrible and prolonged suffering at the hands of Hamas for the past two years.

‘The loss of Yossi Sharabi will be deeply felt by his family, as he brutally exposed the horrors of Hamas and denied them the right to mourn.

‘When I met his family I know how loved Yossi was and how devastating this ordeal was. My thoughts are with them and all the hostage families.

‘Hamas must now return the dead hostages and abide by the terms of the ceasefire.

‘Going forward, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure the next phase of the peace plan is fully implemented.’

The families of at least 24 people are still waiting for their loved ones to be brought home.

“We informed the mediators that we will hand over the bodies of four to six Israeli prisoners tonight,” a Hamas official said on Tuesday.

Israeli officials had previously said that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed at least until Wednesday, and that aid deliveries to Gaza would be reduced in order to pressure Hamas to return the remaining bodies.

Red Cross teams are searching for dead hostages in the ruins of Gaza after Israel warned Hamas it would take until tonight to hand over the rest.

However, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the process could take considerable time, given the difficulty of removing bodies from the rubble.

“The search for human remains is a much greater challenge than the release of living people,” ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon said in Geneva, adding that it could take days or weeks.

A copy of the ceasefire agreement published by Israeli media stated that the remains of all deceased hostages must be handed over by 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Monday; but he also appeared to acknowledge that Hamas and other Palestinian groups may not be able to locate all of them within that time frame.

IDF troops retrieved the remains of the killed hostages during an official ceremony on October 13, 2025

Hamas released the last Israeli hostage living in Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, while Israel released busloads of Palestinian prisoners as US President Donald Trump declared an end to the two-year war.

Red Cross vehicles arrive to collect the bodies of deceased hostages held in Gaza since the deadly attack on October 7, 2023, from Hamas militants

This came after Israel’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, issued a statement before the final handover of the deceased hostages to the Red Cross.

In his statement, Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop aid to Gaza if Hamas does not immediately return the bodies of all the hostages.

Ben-Gvir, who was sanctioned by Britain earlier this year, said Hamas’s failure to return 24 bodies to Israel was indicative of its “mission to destroy it”. [Hamas] ‘has not been reached yet’.

Hamas released the last Israeli hostage living in Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, while Israel released busloads of Palestinian prisoners as US President Donald Trump declared an end to the two-year war.

So far, only the coffins of Guy Iluz (26), Bipin Joshi (33), Yossi Sharabi (54) and Daniel Peretz (22) have been returned to Israel, leaving more than 20 bodies.

Israel is also expected to hand over an unspecified number of Palestinian remains.

The ICRC said it had deployed 23 additional personnel, body bags and refrigerated vehicles to ensure the dead were treated with dignity in Gaza, where most were in ruins.

It was stated that this was a ‘huge challenge’, considering the difficulty of finding bodies in the rubble of Gaza.

Palestinian militant group Hamas released the last Israeli hostage living in Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees as US President Donald Trump declared an end to the two-year war.

Israel is expected to deliver an unspecified number of Palestinian bodies.

But ICRC spokesman Cardon said: ‘I think there is clearly a risk that this will take much longer. “What we’ve told the parties is that this has to be their top priority,” he said on Tuesday.

“All parties must ensure that the return of human remains takes place under dignified conditions and promote dignity and humanity,” the ICRC said in a statement. he added.

On Tuesday, the IDF announced that Bipin Joshi was one of the deceased extradited by Hamason on Monday

Guy Illuz, 26, was also identified by the IDF on Tuesday. The military said he tried to hide in a tree but was later caught. He was injured and alive when he was taken away, but later died because medical treatment was not provided.

Israeli media named Yossi Sharabi as one of the bodies identified by the army on Tuesday

Daniel Perez, 22, of Yad Binyamin, was killed in a clash on October 7 and his body has been held in the Gaza Strip ever since.

Cardon declined to provide further details on the possible whereabouts of the dead hostages, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing operation.

However, it is feared that some remains may never be located.

Cardon praised the fact that Monday’s handover of the 20 living hostages was done secretly, without repeating the hostage-release ceremonies directed by Hamas in previous transfers.

As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, the ICRC has facilitated the transfer of 172 hostages and 3,473 Palestinian detainees since the war began on October 7, 2023.

But despite the latest celebrations, it remains unclear whether peace will continue after two years of conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Trump’s 20-point peace plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the handover of dead hostages; both commitments have yet to be fulfilled.

Lianne Pollack-David, former senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says the most critical test is ahead of us. He says Trump’s peace deal risks complete collapse if Hamas does not return the bodies of all dead Israeli hostages.

The Forum for Families of Hostages and Missing Persons, an Israeli advocacy group, warned that Hamas was in ‘blatant violation’ of the peace agreement after it failed to release all remains today.

Pollack-David, who has previously negotiated with the Palestinians, described the current phase of the agreement as dangerously unstable; The Israel Defense Forces withdrew partially to the so-called ‘yellow line’ – a withdrawal of around 50 per cent.

This withdrawal could be quickly reversed if Hamas violates the terms.

Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport before boarding his flight to Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.

He emphasized that Trump’s deal is not a peace agreement, but a shaky ceasefire with terrorists that is still in its infancy. Many things remain unresolved.

Pollack-David says Hamas is already showing signs of defiance, including using psychological tactics to maintain a sense of control.

He said Hamas called the parents of these hostages and allowed them to talk to their loved ones because they wanted to let them know that they had control over them.

‘I don’t expect Hamas to show up waving the white flag in the next few days or months. They will do whatever they can to survive, and they are already playing these games,” a Netanyahu insider said.

‘What they do next could ruin the whole deal,’ he added.

This is breaking news. More to follow.