Israel will refuse to return the bodies of Palestinian terrorists killed over the past month unless the Palestinian side agrees to keep their funerals "modest," Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Sunday. Israel has handed over the bodies of eight Palestinian terrorists over the past week, enabling their families to bury them. These handovers have been criticized by some members of the Israeli government. Briefing reporters on Sunday, Ya'alon said the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet had initially intended to withhold the bodies but had reassessed this because of the resentment it stirred among Palestinians. On two occasions where Israel handed over bodies for burial, the Palestinian Authority "met our conditions" by ensuring the funerals were "modest family affairs, held at night," Ya'alon said. Ya'alon said a third handover, in Hebron, was halted before all the bodies were delivered because "they [Palestinians] in effect allowed a popular funeral that we saw as a security threat." He appeared to be referring to the burial of five of the Palestinians in Hebron on Saturday, which was attended by tens of thousands of mourners, including Palestinian officials. Two more Palestinians were buried in Hebron on Sunday, but the event was on a smaller scale, with hundreds attending. "Where there is a commitment to quiet, modest funerals, we will continue to return [bodies]," Ya'alon said. "Where there is not, we will not return them, even if that means us burying them here." Meanwhile, the families of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, whose bodies are being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, have expressed opposition to returning the bodies of dead Palestinian terrorists to their families. Shaul's mother, Zahava, said on Sunday, "Where our are children in this deal? Why are they not returning our boys-" Goldin's father, Simcha, said returning the bodies of dead terrorists represented "twisted morals of the highest order." He also said it weakened Israel's bargaining position regarding the return of the bodies of his son and Shaul.
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שיתוף כתבה
'Where are our boys-' ask bereaved Israeli parents
Families of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, whose bodies are being held by Hamas, oppose returning bodies of dead Palestinian terrorists • Defense minister: Israel won't return bodies unless Palestinians keep funerals "modest."