Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 5, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 5, 2024
Hostage families demand PM explain why Israel returned 80 bodies to Gaza, got none in return
Supporters and relatives of Israelis held hostage by terror groups in the Gaza Strip since October 7, demonstrate to demand their release 300 days since their abduction, in Tel Aviv on August 1, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
The Hostage Families Forum issues an angry statement in response to Palestinian reports that Israel returned 80 bodies of Palestinians to Gaza today.
“How can it be that the State of Israel is giving 80 bodies and getting zero in return?” it says. “How is it possible that Israel, under [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s leadership, is returning bodies not as part of a deal? What about our relatives, until when will they languish in Hamas captivity in Gaza?”
The Forum demands “answers and clarifications” from Netanyahu and hostages point person Gal Hirsch on the matter.
There are 115 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, including 41 whose deaths have been confirmed by Israeli authorities. Of the total, 111 were abducted on October 7.
