Israel Confirms Identity of Four Hostages Returned by Hamas Amid Ceasefire Tensions

Wed Nov 19 2025 09:22:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Israeli military has confirmed the identities of four deceased hostages returned by Hamas as tensions rise over the delay in retrieving the bodies of other hostages. The families demand accountability and the return of all remains.

In a recent humanitarian development, Israel has identified four deceased hostages returned by Hamas. The Israeli government is tightening aid to Gaza in response to Hamas's delays in returning additional bodies. Families of the deceased hostages are calling for accountability and the humane treatment of their loved ones. This situation poses new challenges to the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has identified the bodies of four deceased hostages which were returned by Hamas on Monday as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military named two of the hostages as Guy Illouz, a 26-year-old Israeli, and Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese citizen who was 23. Later, the two other hostages were named by their families as Yossi Sharabi, a 53-year-old Israeli, and Daniel Peretz, 22, an Israeli-South African dual national.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials said the government would restrict the entry of aid into Gaza and delay the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt over Hamas's failure to return the bodies of the 24 other dead hostages on Monday.

Israel's defence minister warned that any further delay would be seen as a gross violation of the ceasefire agreement, which has already been tested amidst ongoing tensions.

Hamas has claimed that finding all burial sites is challenging, especially as some hostages' remains may be trapped under rubble from Israeli bombardments.

The release of the remaining 20 living hostages occurred simultaneously with a significant prisoner exchange, where nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees were released in return.

The bodies of the identified deceased have sparked responses from family members who have endured profound uncertainty for over two years. The Hostages Families Forum has urged that the plight of all hostages be prioritized and resolved expediently.

As the ceasefire remains fragile, concerns loom regarding the potential derailment of peace efforts due to the ongoing disruption surrounding the body recoveries and allegations of violations by both parties involved. This anxiety is compounded by reports of continued violence in Gaza, increasing fears for both sides in this already complex situation.