00:00This is another somber and emotionally raw day in Israel.
00:04It's the National Day, officially marking the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks.
00:08And although the U.S.-brokered ceasefire continues to hold into a six-day, it remains fragile.
00:16Tensions are high, with the remains of almost 20 hostages still in Gaza.
00:21Hamas says it has handed over those it has been able to access, nine in all.
00:27The militant group says special equipment is required to find and recover the bodies of the others.
00:33Meanwhile, two more funerals have taken place in Israel today for those whose remains were repatriated earlier this week.
00:48As the latest funeral was taking place at a separate ceremony this morning,
00:53Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his country will achieve all goals of the Gaza war it had set out to accomplish.
01:05And the CBC's Crystal Gamansing has been following the story for us.
01:08She's been at one of those funerals today.
01:10She joins me now live from Tel Aviv.
01:12So, Crystal, can you describe what it was like to be there?
01:15Well, Arthi, the funeral for Tamir Nimrodhi was absolutely packed.
01:22It was nearby in Kfir Saba at a military cemetery.
01:27And the actual area around the cemetery was packed.
01:32Streets were lined with people.
01:35There were lots of flags.
01:36And we did, as a part of the eulogy, hear from his mother, who said that when she got the news,
01:43because really they didn't know if Tamir was alive or had been killed while in captivity in Gaza
01:49after he was taken captive on October 7th from the crossing near Erez Crossing,
01:56she said that the news shattered her heart and emptied her of the little strength that she had left.
02:02Now, people also lined a part of the highway near his hometown as a procession went by.
02:09There, people had told me that there is a growing sense of anger and frustration
02:14because only nine of the 28 bodies have been returned by Hamas.
02:22Those nine individuals, their identity has been confirmed.
02:26But given that there are so many still outstanding,
02:28there is a level of frustration about what the Israeli government should do next.
02:34Yeah, only nine.
02:35And it's not okay for Hamas to do that.
02:39I mean, we sign on an agreement and they don't make it.
02:42It's very sad.
02:44It's very upsetting.
02:46And I hope that everyone will return very fast.
02:49We demand it.
02:50I think it's shameful, to be honest, that an agreement was made
02:57and it's not being kept.
03:03And with all the respect to the efforts of Hamas to find the bodies,
03:10I know, well, I don't know, but I have the feeling that they know exactly where these bodies are
03:19and they will keep them as a bargaining chip later.
03:23And I think it's despicable.
03:25Now, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has said,
03:32given the fact that they have not received the 19 remaining bodies that are still being held in Gaza,
03:39that Israel should not continue with this agreement, that it can't continue with the agreement.
03:45We have heard from Hamas officials saying that they are committed to all of the parts of this peace plan
03:52and ceasefire and that they are working to try to locate the remains so that they can be returned, Dorothy.
03:59We know, too, as, of course, part of this agreement of this fragile ceasefire deal
04:04that continues to hold that Israel must also return the bodies of Palestinians to Gaza as part of this.
04:12And that is happening.
04:13What more can you tell us about that?
04:17Yeah, that's right, Arthi.
04:18We do understand that 30 more bodies were returned to Gaza today.
04:24Health officials in Gaza say the total now is at 120.
04:28The deal said that for every hostage and captivity returned to Israel,
04:33the bodies of 15 Palestinians would be exchanged and returned to Gaza.
04:38Now, we are hearing from doctors in Gaza who did speak with a freelance video journalist
04:45that CBC works with in Gaza, and the doctors have been saying that they are really struggling
04:49to try to figure out the identity of these individuals, that they don't have the equipment,
04:54the sophisticated equipment needed to confirm identities.
04:58We've also heard from family members who have been going to the hospital where these bodies have been returned to.
05:04They are trying to get any information, and they are just not being able to be reunited with loved ones
05:10should their remains have been returned.
05:13We are also hearing more about the Rafah crossing.
05:17Israel Defense Forces and the group that deals with the aid, Kogat,
05:22is saying that efforts are in the works to reopen that crossing,
05:26but it won't reopen to aid that other crossings will be used for that.
05:31So that is another part of this that we're paying close attention to, Arthi.
05:34Thanks for this, Crystal.
05:37That is the CBC's Crystal Gamansing reporting from Tel Aviv.
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