ICRC Says Repatriation Of All Dead Hostage Bodies May Take Time

The convoy of Israeli hostages released by Hamas in February. (Source: Israel Police)

JAKARTA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the repatriation of the bodies of the dead hostages took time, calling it a "big challenge" given the difficulty of finding bodies among Gaza's ruins.

"That's an even bigger challenge than freeing the living. It's a big challenge," said ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon, quoted by The Times of Israel Oct. 14.

According to Cardon, this process could take days or weeks, with some unlikely to be found.

Yesterday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four of the 28 hostages killed. Israel and the families of 24 other hostages accused the terror group of violating its commitments by ceasefire.

The Israeli government's representative to the hostages, Gal Hirsch, told the hostages' families they would continue the pressure and increase it until Hamas kept the agreed commitments at the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, 20 hostages who have been alive since being held hostage on October 7, 2023 have been completely released yesterday.

Late Monday, Yael Adar, the mother of the hostage killed by Tamir Adar, delivered scathing criticism of the Israeli leadership's handling of the issue of returning the hostages' bodies.

To Channel 12, Yael said the government had "tricked" families like himself whose loved ones were killed in hostage and have not been returned.

"This mission is not over yet, we are fully determined and committed that we will not stop until all the hostages are found and sent home," Hirsch said.