Dead Hostages’ Families Worry About The Condition In Which They Will Be Returned, If At All

As hostage family members gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, October 9, 2025, to celebrate the announcement of a deal to imminently free their loved ones, relatives of those killed or believed to have died in captivity expressed different hopes and fears. “Our Matans are coming back,” one mother said to another, as families embraced in the square.

“We’re putting the living first,” said one bereaved father, “and then, after that, when they return the corpses, we’ll mourn our personal losses.” Loved ones voiced the urgent need for dignified identification, care, and support when remains are returned, even as they stood in solidarity with families expecting reunions.

Across the plaza, parents and siblings spoke of closure and of the long struggle to advocate for their loved ones’ return for proper burial. The moment brought relief and renewed pain, as celebrations unfolded alongside the sober reality that not all families would be reunited in the same way.

(TOI/VFI News)

“Father, please comfort those who mourn and steady the hearts of the bereaved. Wrap grieving families in Your presence, give wisdom to teams handling identifications and returns of the bodies, and let every step be marked by honor and compassion.”