The bodies of two suicide bombers who blew up the commercial center in the Negev city of Dimona a week ago will be given back to the Hamas terrorist organization, reported Voice of Israel government radio Sunday afternoon.
Islamic law mandates that a body must be buried within 24 hours of death, or as soon as possible. Retaining the bodies of terrorists is one way to exert pressure on a terror gang. The strategy is similar to that practiced by terrorists against Jews, who observe the same tradition of burying a body within 24 hours. The Hizbullah terrorist organization in Lebanon has withheld bodies of murdered Israeli captives for years as bargaining chips in exchange for the release of hundreds of prisoners.
It is not clear why Israel agreed to return the bodies. A 73-year-old grandmother was murdered in the bloody attack and 40 others were wounded.