Feb. 20 (UPI) — Israel received the bodies of four hostages Thursday morning, officials said.
The bodies were transferred to the Israeli military by the Red Cross inside southern Gaza, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said in a statement.
“Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters,” President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on Thursday as news broke that the bodies were being returned.
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”
The four coffins will now be returned to Israel and taken to the Health Ministry’s National Center of Forensic Medicine.
The identities of the slain hostages have not been released.
The prime minister’s office said the victims’ families have been updated on the situation and will be officially notified upon completion of the identification process.
“Our hearts are with them at this difficult hour,” the office said in a statement.
“The public is requested to respect the privacy of the families and refrain from disseminating rumors and unofficial and baseless information.”
On Wednesday, Israel said it had received the list of deceased hostages to be released by Hamas under the cease-fire agreement that went into effect Jan. 15, ushering in a fragile truce to halt the 15-month war.
The 251 people, mostly Israelis, were taken hostage by Hamas and dragged back into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group launched its bloody surprise attack on Israel that ignited the war.
Sixty-five hostages are believed to remain in Hamas’ custody in Gaza. Many are believed dead.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu had told the people of Israel that Thursday would be “a very difficult day,” “a wrenching day” and “a day of grief” for Israel.
“We embrace the families, and the heart of the entire nation is torn, my heart is torn. So is yours. And all of the world’s hear should be torn because this demonstrates who we are dealing with, what we are dealing with — with such monsters,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday night in a recorded statement.
“We are grieving, we are in pain, but we are laos determined to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
This is a developing story.
