The Israeli military has confirmed that one of four bodies returned from Gaza on Thursday is not that of Shiri Bibas, as previously claimed by Hamas. This update was reported by BBC, CNN, and other global outlets.
The tragic news that Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were dead had sparked widespread grief in Israel. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the remains of the two children were identified after Hamas returned their bodies on Thursday. However, the third body returned was not Shiri Bibas’s, the IDF clarified.
"The additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage," the IDF said in a statement on X. "This is an anonymous, unidentified body." The IDF condemned the action as a violation by Hamas, urging the return of Shiri's body along with the other remaining hostages.
The IDF also revealed that Ariel and Kfir, aged five and two, were "brutally murdered" in captivity in November 2023, based on intelligence and forensic findings. Hamas had earlier stated that the family had died in an Israeli bombing.
Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was released by Hamas on February 1.
The fourth body returned on Thursday was identified as that of veteran peace activist Oded Lifshitz. The return of hostages' bodies was part of a ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19, 2025. The deal included the exchange of 33 hostages for about 1,900 prisoners, with further talks expected to progress toward the release of living hostages and the permanent cessation of hostilities.
So far, 28 hostages and over 1,000 prisoners have been exchanged, but 66 hostages remain in Gaza. The attacks by Hamas on October 7 resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 people. In retaliation, Israel's military campaign against Hamas has led to at least 48,297 Palestinian casualties, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
On the same day, three buses exploded in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, in a suspected terror attack, although no casualties were reported. Israeli police are investigating the incident, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered intensified military operations in the West Bank.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
