The Israeli military has stated that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas does not belong to Shiri Bibas, nor does it belong to any other hostage. In an official statement, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) clarified that it was an unidentified body lacking any means of identification.
However, the IDF confirmed the return of the bodies of Shiri Bibas’s children—infant Kfir Bibas and his 4-year-old brother, Ariel Bibas. Two bodies released by Hamas have been identified as those of Kfir and Ariel Bibas.
The military further emphasized that this incident constitutes a grave violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which had an obligation under the agreement to return the remains of four deceased hostages. The Bibas family has emerged as a poignant symbol in Israel, representing the tragic consequences of the attacks on October 7, 2023.
Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old UK-linked Hamas hostage, was confirmed as one of the four individuals returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday. Lifshitz, a former journalist, had previously expressed his views on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy failures in an op-ed published in the left-leaning newspaper Haaretz in January 2019.
The handover ceremony took place in Khan Younis, Gaza, and was marked by a somber display featuring four black coffins on a stage, accompanied by masked members of Hamas and other factions. Hamas claimed that the Bibas family and their guards were killed during Israeli airstrikes, a statement that Israeli authorities have neither confirmed nor denied.
The remains were subsequently transported to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Jaffa for formal identification. As the bodies made their way, many Israelis lined the streets, while others gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, reflecting the national sentiment surrounding this tragic event.
In a public address, Hamas asserted that it had made efforts to “preserve the lives of the occupation prisoners,” stating that it provided them with whatever resources it could and treated them humanely. However, they accused the Israeli army of killing the hostages along with their captors. The group further alleged that Prime Minister Netanyahu was attempting to evade responsibility for these deaths, a claim the Israeli government has not publicly addressed.
In a recorded address following the handover of the remains, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eradicate Hamas, asserting that “the four coffins” necessitate a renewed commitment to ensure that there will never be a repeat of the October 7 attack. He stated, “The blood of our loved ones cries out to us from the ground and compels us to take revenge on the despicable murderers, and we will.”
Throughout the ongoing conflict, Israeli officials have consistently asserted their determination to annihilate Hamas and to secure the safe return of the approximately 250 hostages who were abducted.
During Thursday’s handover, a militant was seen beside a poster displaying coffins wrapped in Israeli flags, which bore the message: “The Return of the War = The Return of your Prisoners in Coffins.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the display of bodies and the parading of coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages, describing the act as “abhorrent and appalling,” as relayed by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.
Looking ahead, the return of six living hostages is scheduled to take place on Saturday, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians, who are expected to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
