IDF has picked up first 2 bodies of hostages released by Hamas, as Red Cross collects another 2

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

The IDF says troops in the Gaza Strip have received two caskets, with the apparent bodies of slain hostages, from the Red Cross a short while ago.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, has collected two more caskets from Hamas a short while ago, and is now bringing them to the same location, the IDF says.

The IDF is set to inspect the four caskets, before draping them in Israeli flags and holding a short ceremony led by a military rabbi.

The remains will then be taken for identification to confirm they belong to slain hostages.

The military says “Hamas is required to abide by the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the bodies,” after the terror group announced it would only return the bodies of four of the 28 dead hostages today.

Hamas said earlier that it would return the bodies of slain hostages Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and IDF officer Cpt. Daniel Perez today.

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