Report: Half of remaining hostages held by rival terror group in Gaza

Hamas reportedly struggling to locate the bodies of two of the four remaining hostages said to be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

By World Israel News Staff

The Hamas terror organization is struggling to retrieve the remains of two of the four remaining hostages, according to a report published Monday, which are being held captive by a rival terrorist group in Gaza.

Citing a Palestinian Arab source, Israel’s national broadcaster, Kan Reshet Bet, reported that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization is holding at least two of the hostage bodies.

Thus far, the report said, PIJ has refused to return the remains, despite the comprehensive peace plan with Israel, obligating all terror groups in the coastal enclave to immediately transfer all hostages to Israel.

Currently, there are four hostages remaining in Gaza, including three Israelis – Meny Godard, Ran Gvili, and Dror Or – and one Thai national, Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Islamic Jihad has returned a number of hostage bodies in the past, including the remains of Lior Rudaeff, whose body was transferred to Israel on Friday.

Rom Braslavski, one of the last surviving hostages returned to Israel last month, was also held captive by Islamic Jihad.

Last week, Braslavski said Islamic Jihad terrorists tortured and sexually abused him during his two years in captivity.

According to the Kan Reshet Bet report, Arab mediators and other Islamic powers have increased pressure on Hamas over the past 24 hours to return the remaining four hostage bodies.

Under the terms of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal, Hamas was required to return all 48 of the hostages – living and dead – by October 13.

The failure thus far to return all of the slain hostages has hamstrung efforts by the US to move the two sides forward to phase two of the Gaza peace plan, including the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and introduction of an international security force into the coastal enclave.

Turkey in particular is said to be leaning heavily on Hamas to find and return the four remaining hostage bodies.