Remains of Israeli hostage returned following 'unfortunate' mixup
The body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas has been returned, her family has confirmed.
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Hostage horror as mum's body not among children's remains returned by
The remains of Shiri Bibas has not been found in any of the four caskets released by Hamas early Thursday, according to Israel
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The body of an Israeli mother has not been found in any of the four caskets released by Hamas early Thursday, according to the Israeli government. This has led to accusations of a "serious violation" by officials against the terrorist group.
Shiri Bibas' body was expected to be among those returned by Hamas, but the Israeli Defence Forces have informed the Bibas family that while the remains of Ariel, aged 4, and nine-month-old Kfir were identified, their mother Shiri's body was not present. Despite assurances from Hamas that the remains of the slain mother would be included with her children as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, the IDF has expressed outrage at the omission and is demanding the return of Shiri's body.
They conveyed their frustration to the New York Post, stating: "This is a very serious violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is required by the agreement to return four dead hostages. We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all of our hostages."
Israeli reporters have been told that the IDF examined the body multiple times before concluding it was not Shiri but an unidentified woman not thought to have been a hostage. GLZRadio reported that the IDF vowed "we will deal with Hamas' violation severely" but expects Saturday's upcoming hostage release to go ahead as planned.
The bodies released by Hamas were supposed to be Shiri and her children and 83 year old journalist Oded Lifschitz, whose remains have been positively identified. The unsettling revelation indicates that one of the four bodies handed over to Israel is not who Hamas claimed it would be, reports the Mirror.
The family before the horror. (Image: Pixel8000) Horrifying moment Israeli mother and her two young sons are abducted by Hamas terrorists.Israel, however, asserts that the body does not belong to any other hostage and remains unidentified. The youngest of the hostages, Kfir, was a mere nine months old when he was kidnapped in the October 7 attacks, having never celebrated a birthday in freedom, while Ariel was four years old.
Hamas has claimed that all four were killed as a result of Israeli strikes. Video footage from the day militants invaded the family home depicts a terrified Shiri swaddling her two boys as Hamas took them and led them into Gaza.
Her husband, Yarden Bibas, was taken separately and released earlier this month after spending 16 months in captivity. The family became one of the most well-known of the 251 Israelis taken to Gaza by Hamas on October 7, due to the young age of the children, making them the youngest hostages.
Disturbing images showed the exchange at Khan Younis in Gaza where militants carried black coffins containing the bodies. Militants displayed four black coffins on a stage in the Gaza strip, surrounded by banners, including one depicting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire.
The Red Cross staff, donning their notable red vests, carefully draped the coffins in white sheets before moving them into a van. The coffins, entangled in a prisoner exchange between warring states, were received with dignified regard.
Sharone Lifschitz and her father Oded Lifshitz. (Image: AP) A Hamas militant stands over the coffins which were supposed to contain the bodies. (Image: AP)Back on Israeli soil, the Bibas family painfully remembered young Kfir's first and second birthdays and his older brother's fifth birthday - all overshadowed by their captivity at the hands of Hamas. This Wednesday, the grief-stricken family put out a statement, signalling they are poised for "identification procedures" to come to terms with their loss.
As a symbol of solidarity, supporters across Israel sported orange attire, paying homage to the distinctive red hair of the siblings. Oded Lifshitz, who was snatched from Kibbutz Nir Oz together with his wife Yocheved, remains detained; however, she secured her freedom amidst a ceasefire that briefly held up last November 2023.
Oded, a journalist with a passion for Palestinian rights, tirelessly worked toward achieving peace among Arabs and Jews. Come Saturday, Hamas is gearing up to free six living captives, trading them for hundreds of Palestinian detainees with an additional four bodies due for release next week – signalling the end of the ceasefire's initial stage.
After this, around 60 captives will still be under lock and key, all male and nearly half presumed dead.
The militant group has declared that it won't release the remaining hostages without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Prime Minister Netanyahu, supported by Donald Trump, is adamant about dismantling Hamas' military and governing capacities and returning all hostages.
Trump's suggestion to displace around two million Palestinians from Gaza so the US can take ownership and rebuild it has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, casting further doubt on the ceasefire. To date, 24 hostages have been released alive by Hamas, while Israel says it is releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners in return.
A total of 251 people were abducted in the October 7 attacks, including 30 children. Most of the women and children taken have now been released, according to AP reports, either through ceasefire deals or other agreements.
At the end of last month, Hamas released five Thai hostages who were allowed to return home after being abducted while working on a farm in Israel. The returns are taking place under a fragile ceasefire that has temporarily halted over 15 months of conflict.
It's thought that this sombre exchange could potentially stimulate discussions on the second phase of the ceasefire, which have barely started.
The first phase is set to wrap up at the beginning of March. Since the group initiated its attack in 2023, Israel has retaliated with strikes across Gaza, leading to the deaths of 45,000 Palestinians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry quoted by the UN.
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