Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that an announcement by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to hand over four bodies of Israeli hostages is a "failure to meet commitments."
"Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly," Katz said in a post on X.
The agreement says that within 72 hours of the military's redeployment, all 48 hostages are to be released from the Gaza Strip and handed over to Israeli security forces — 20 who are known to be alive and 28 who have died.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 people to Gaza.
In a response on X, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the breach of terms.
"The Hostages Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation until every deceased individual is returned."
"Hamas's violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators," the post added.
"An agreement must be honored by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill their part, Israel should not fulfill its part either."
"We demand all 28 hostages back. We will not give up on anyone, until the last hostage is returned."
Hamas previously indicated that recovering the bodies of some dead hostages may take longer, as not all burial sites are known.
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