Israel’s hostage envoy told families that handover of hostages, living and dead, will begin Monday morning

On Friday, as the 72-hour window for Hamas to release all the hostages began, government pointman Gal Hirsch told families of the captives that Israel believes that “the process of releasing your loved ones—our loved ones, the hostages—will begin on Monday morning,” in a message seen by The Times of Israel.

“Living hostages will be handed over to us, and it is expected that the remains of fallen hostages will also be transferred to us,” he wrote.

Hirsch added that Israel had completed preparations for receiving the living hostage inside the Gaza Strip, at the Re’im IDF base, and at hospitals in Israel.

Bodies of slain hostages “will be transferred in a painful and respectful ceremony, in accordance with the proper protocol, to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for the identification process,” he told the families.

After Israel verifies which bodies it has received, said Hirsch, the multinational task force will start searching for those still in Gaza.

“We demand, expect, and work for 100% effort from Hamas, with the assistance of the international force, in order to complete the mission and bring back all the fallen hostages for burial in Israel,” he stressed.

Hirsch told the hostage families that Israel is maintaining close coordination with the Red Cross, the negotiating teams from the mediating countries, and with other countries and international organizations.

“The Home Front Command and I are with you at this time—with vigilance, with anticipation, with pain, with uncertainty, and with joy,” he wrote.