Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the organization faces “very great complexity” in its efforts to recover the remains of Israeli hostages killed in Gaza.
Speaking to the Qatari network Al Araby, Qassem asserted, “There are very great complexities in the matter of the hostages’ bodies. Israel has destroyed homes, there are entire areas in the Gaza Strip which were completely erased. As a result, you cannot easily reach the bodies of all the hostages there.”
His comments echoed earlier statements by Hamas this month, when the group claimed it could “take months” to locate and recover all of the deceased hostages’ remains.
Shortly after making that declaration, reports surfaced that Hamas had begun searching for the bodies in the ruins left behind from the fighting.
Among those whose bodies are still being withheld by Hamas is IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, who was killed and abducted during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. While the remains of his comrade, Oron Shaul, who fell in the same battle, were recovered earlier this year, Goldin’s body remains in Gaza.
In a statement released earlier this week, Goldin’s parents, Leah and Simcha, expressed anguish over the prolonged wait and urged the government not to allow history to repeat itself. “This war was born 11 years ago, when it was decided to leave hostages behind in Gaza. Our Hadar symbolizes determination for a true victory, and until he is brought home, we are still at war. Israel has 28 deceased hostages without a solution, and we are standing guard. We call on the Israeli government to bring in search teams and bring everyone back before Hamas receives anything in exchange.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Of course it’s “complex”. This way they get to hold onto them and have them “magically found” when they need to get some more terrorists released.
“Complex”
Complex = delay after delay, while Hamas rearms and fortifies itself for it’s next slaughter of innocent Yidden. Trump and Bibi are fools.
Well, brutal barbaric monsters, if you hadn’t taken them and killed them in the first place, it would have a lot easier. NOT one single jailee gets freed till every live and dead hostage is freed.
Further, If you had let the IRC visit them and provided for them as per Geneva laws, perhaps things would be different. Only you monsters see it one way: we can perpetrate whatever we want and then we accuse you of violations and genocide.
This is partly because OTHER TERRORIST ORGS are also holding hostages.
Can the Jewish media please stop pretending Hamas is the root of all evil in Gaza?
Have you never heard of Army of Islam? Palestinian Islamic Jihad? Fatah?
Th Israeli govmnt,supreme court and leaders of the army are fools. They are releasing 250 Arab murderers who killed hundreds of Jews. Instead of giving them the death penalty. Some have been released before on these deals only to get arrested again. Jews living in Israel are fools as well. Their lives are being n danger because of this lefty compassion on murderers. Every week Jews are attacked. In Arab countries these murderers would be hung.
Please tell us what you would do to free the hostages? I’m sure the world will back you, and allow you to do it your way!
Heimish’s comment below is right on target.
Had Israel started executing one terrorist prisoner every half hour until the return of the hostages, that would’ve eliminated the murderous prisoners and likely brought back the hostages within a week or two.
Rafael Chayun’s sophisticated surveillance network proved that, due to the solid blockade over Gaza, Gazans were willing to give back the hostages as early as December 2023, but Biden’s administration started delivering humanitarian aid right then.
The world doesn’t have as much control over Israel as Israel’s political and military elite wants you to think.
To shmendrik
My way is very simple.
Had they given all these terrorist killers the death penalty they would not be on the negotiating table other than small crime terrorist would be up for grabs.
Second there should not of been 914 dead Israeli soldiers. Had they simply not given any food,fuel or internet access along with barring all media into Gaza there would be a serious battle between Hamas and Gaza civilians. The two million civilians would attack and loot Hamas. Israel would just need to shoot from their planes and blowup every standing building. They should have leaders in the Supreme Court and army are basically leftist.