IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin confirmed on Monday afternoon earlier rumors that only four deceased hostages would be returned by Hamas on Monday evening.
Hamas later named the hostages as Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Peretz.
In response, the Hostage Families Forum called for an immediate suspension of Israel's agreement with Hamas until every deceased hostage was returned.
Hamas initially agreed to release all hostages, living and alive, by Monday.
"Hamas's violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators," a statement from the forum reads.
The IDF initially informed Ilouz's family of his death 56 days after October 7, 2023. Sharabi was killed by a building collapse where he was being held hostage following an Israel Air Force strike, according to an IDF inquiry into the incident.
Peretz's family was informed of his death in March 2024, though he was killed on October 7. Joshi's fate was the only one of the four that remained unclear until today.
Deffrin initially provided no information about the other 24 deceased hostages, their timeframe for being returned, the circumstances for their return, or how many additional deceased hostages Israel believed would be findable.
Hamas believes that not all deceased hostages will be found
Hamas had openly said in recent days that, given the extensive destruction in Gaza from Israel's invasion, not all of the deceased hostages would be found.
For example, if Hamas buried hostages near a particular building and that building and all the ones around it were later destroyed, finding the spot may be possible over time, but it would be much more difficult.
Still, in a briefing on Sunday night, IDF sources had not hinted that the number of returned deceased hostages would be so low on the first day.
Rather, most observers were expecting a more significant number of hostages to be returned on the first day and the majority to be returned within a few days, with only a small number of unresolved cases.
Defense sources indicated to The Jerusalem Post on Monday that while the future was hazy, it still might improve in the coming days, given that Israel could retaliate against Hamas if it felt the Gaza organization was lying and withholding information about deceased hostages.
Even without returning to war, Israel can slow the Gaza rebuilding process if it feels Hamas is not living up to its end of the bargain.
Further, until more deceased bodies are returned, Israel can freeze movement and activity in areas where it suspects bodies may be buried, in order to preserve the area for digging and searching.
Who was slain hostage Bipin Joshi?
Joshi was an Agricultural student studying at Kibbutz Alumim. He was from a remote region of Nepal, and had arrived in Israel just three weeks before the October 7 massacre.
His family authorized the release of a Hamas propaganda video of him shortly before the hostage deal came into effect. It was recorded in late 2023.
“Ismi (my name is) Bipin Joshi, I’m from Nepal. I’m 23 years old. I came to Israel 25 days ago. I came here for the ‘Learn and Earn’ program. I’m a student," he said in the video.
Until Monday's announcement, Joshi's status was completely unknown.
Who was slain hostage Yossi Sharabi?
Sharabi, 53, was a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri and a father of three. He was kidnapped from Be'eri on October 7 with his son, Oren.
He is survived by his wife, Nira, three daughters, Ofir, Yuval, and Oren.
Yossi's brother, EIi Sharabi, was released in February 2025. Sharabi also had three other siblings, Sharon, Osnat, and Hila. Yossi’s brother, Sharon, shared that Yossi was a man “renowned for his affection towards others,” continuing to say that he embodied care and an unwavering commitment to everyone in his life, “always radiating happiness.”
Yossi’s family and friends described him as brimming with life, always looking forward to the future. His loved ones told the Israeli organization that he was a skilled surfer, loved Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Maccabi Tel Aviv, and found peace in nature.
Who was slain hostage Guy Illouz?
Illouz, 26, was a sound technician who was taken from the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023. Originally from Ra'anana, he was a gifted musician and had worked with well-known Israeli artists such as Shalom Hanoch, Matti Caspi, and the band, HaYehudim.
His death was announced in 2023.
Who was slain hostage Daniel Peretz?
Peretz, 22, was an IDF officer who was killed on October 7 and was subsequently taken to the Gaza Strip.
He resided in Yad Binyamin and was a Division Commander in the 77th battalion of the 7th "Storm from the Golan" formation.
He was originally from South Africa, but moved to Israel in 2014 with his family.
Daniel's father, Rabbi Doron Peretz, spoke about his son's experience on October 7 with the Post in a 2024 interview.
On October 7, Daniel immediately ran to his tank and fought valiantly, saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers, as well as civilians. Eventually, terrorists surrounded his tank, and he was taken hostage.