Israel has received the bodies of two more hostages, held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, as part of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire agreement in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Oct. 30 that the remains of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, two hostages kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed in captivity, have been handed over to Israel.
This brings the number of remaining deceased hostages, still held in Gaza, to 11. Under the cease-fire agreement, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month, all Israeli hostages must be released before the Gaza peace plan can move on to the next phase of implementation.
To date, 20 living hostages have been released by Hamas, and bodies of 17 deceased hostages have been handed over to Israel.
“The Hamas terrorist organization is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return the fallen hostages as part of the implementation of the agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen hostages, every last one of them.”
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Baruch, 24, was abducted in October 2023 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people.
“Sahar was taken into Gaza and died in captivity. Sahar had just returned from South America and was set to begin studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ben-Gurion University. A chess lover, anime fan, and sharp wit—he was cherished by all who knew him,” the ministry said.
Cooper, 85, was abducted with his wife, Nurit, during the Oct. 7 attack. His wife was freed on Oct. 23, 2023. Cooper was killed in captivity.
The U.S. administration and the Israeli government have been pressing Hamas to expedite the process of hostage returns.
Trump said on Oct. 25 that Hamas should return the bodies, including those of two Americans, “quickly” or face action by the countries backing a peace deal. Israel dismissed the suggestion by Hamas that it has difficulty locating the remains amid the destruction in Gaza, despite assurances by the group that it is committed to the search.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein has condemned Hamas for manipulating the return process, after Israel accused the terrorist group of staging the discovery of a deceased hostage earlier this week.
He said the group’s actions were aimed at preventing the Trump peace plan from moving forward, since the plan requires Hamas to disarm.
“Hamas is trying to do everything possible to avoid this,” Marmorstein said.
In return for the remains of Israeli hostages, Israel has been releasing the bodies of Palestinians back to Gaza. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said on Friday that 30 bodies have been handed over by Jerusalem, bringing the total number since the cease-fire agreement to 225.
The ministry also said that more than 68,000 people have been killed since the onset of the conflict in 2023. The figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and includes some deaths from natural causes. The Epoch Times cannot verify these figures.
Israel’s Security
Twenty days into the cease-fire agreement, both sides maintain they are committed to upholding peace, despite a series of recent breaches.
This week, Netanyahu ordered military strikes in the Gaza Strip, saying that the Hamas terrorist group had breached the truce after an attack by Hamas terrorists killed an Israeli soldier.
Israel maintains that while it is committed to the agreement, it reserves the right to defend itself.
On Oct. 29, Netanyahu visited the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat, where he spoke with CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Gen. Patrick Frank.
“They are working together with us on a plan to achieve a different Gaza, a Gaza that will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said. “The first component, of course, is security, and the security responsibility for maintaining our forces and our freedom of action. This is an accepted matter, and we are doing it. It is important; it is a fundamental component.”
The disarmament of Hamas and demilitarization of Gaza will be achieved, Netanyahu said, adding that the United States and Israel are working on this and other parts of the peace plan in stages.
