{"id":90039,"date":"2025-10-14T08:19:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T13:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=90039"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T21:09:20","slug":"hamas-releases-remains-of-just-4-deceased-hostages-leaving-24-still-unaccounted-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/hamas-releases-remains-of-just-4-deceased-hostages-leaving-24-still-unaccounted-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamas releases remains of just 4 deceased hostages, leaving 24 still unaccounted for"},"content":{"rendered":"

By PHILISSA CRAMER<\/p>\n

(JTA) \u2014 Hours after freeing 20 living hostages to a jubilant Israel, Hamas released the remains of four deceased hostages \u2014 far fewer than the 28 it is holding and obligated under the terms of the ceasefire to release.<\/p>\n

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Hamas said the hostages released on Monday were Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, Daniel Perez and Yossi Sharabi. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed that Illouz and Joshi were in the group; the identities of the other two remains were not immediately confirmed at their families\u2019 instruction.<\/p>\n

Illouz, 26, was injured during the attack on the Nova music festival. A returned hostage said he had been killed.<\/p>\n

Joshi, 23, was a Nepalese agriculture student who had arrived in Israel just weeks before Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7, 2023, attack. He had not previously been confirmed dead, though Israel had expressed \u201cgrave concern\u201d about his life. His family had joined lobbying efforts on behalf of the hostages and last week released a video produced by Hamas that showed him alive in Gaza at least a month after he was taken hostage.<\/p>\n

Perez, 22, was a soldier who responded to the Hamas attack. The IDF announced in March 2024 that he had been killed on Oct. 7, along with two other soldiers in his tank. A fourth soldier in the tank, Matan Angrest, was released alive on Monday and paid tribute to Perez in his first message to Israelis.<\/p>\n

Sharabi, 53, was abducted from Kibbutz Beeri. He was likely killed in an IDF airstrike, the IDF said in February 2024. His brother Eli, whose wife and daughters were killed on Oct. 7, was released during the first phase of the current ceasefire and has become a prominent voice among freed hostages.<\/p>\n

Israel reportedly believes that Hamas is in possession of at least some additional hostages\u2019 remains but chose not to release them. It is pressing for their swift release, but especially with U.S. President Donald Trump emphasizing that he views the war as permanently over, has no way to apply pressure on Hamas.<\/p>\n

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