Never-ending nightmare
Hamas "Discovers" 3 Hostage Bodies
According to unverified reports, one of the bodies that Hamas has found is that of slain IDF soldier Asaf Hamami, who was found in Eastern Khan Yunis.
Israel is preparing for Hamas to hand over the body of at least one slain hostage tonight, with the possibility of additional remains, according to Israeli officials.The transfer comes amid ongoing frustration over Hamas’s repeated deception in the hostage return process.
On Friday, the Red Cross delivered what were believed to be hostage remains, only for forensic examination on Saturday to reveal that the body parts did not belong to any of the missing Israelis.
Earlier this week, Hamas returned the bodies of two slain hostages: Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch.
According to a report by Al-Arabiya, Hamas located three Israeli hostage bodies in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Currently, 11 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, including two foreign nationals.
During Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Hamas’s tactics as “pathetic attempts to mislead us, the United States, and the world,” adding, “They will not succeed. We will bring back all our hostages, step by step. We are fully committed to that.”Netanyahu also addressed ongoing military operations in Gaza, stating that Israeli forces are systematically eliminating remaining Hamas strongholds, including two in Rafah and Khan Younis, which “will be taken out.”
He issued a clear directive on rules of engagement: “If there is an attempt to harm our forces, we strike the attackers and their infrastructure to protect our troops. That is our policy.”
The prime minister emphasized Israel’s independence in security decisions: “We inform our American allies, we do not ask for permission. We maintain full security responsibility and will never give it up.”
On the broader goal of the war, Netanyahu reiterated the need to fully disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, a principle he said is shared with U.S. President Donald Trump.“If it doesn’t happen one way,” he warned, “it will happen the other, and everyone knows what that means and who will do it.”