Hamas has failed to return the body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, sparking outrage in Israel and accusations that the terrorist group has violated the current ceasefire agreement.
On Thursday, Hamas handed over four bodies it claimed were those of three members of the Bibas family, Shiri, 33, and her young sons, Ariel and Kfir, along with Oded Lifshitz, 84.
However, Israeli forensic experts soon discovered that the fourth body was not that of Bibas but instead belonged to a Palestinian woman.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu condemned what he called a “cruel and evil” act, saying that the terror group had “failed to return Shiri to her small children” and caused unnecessary anguish.
Netanyahu pointed out that Hamas’s apparent attempt to disguise the woman’s remains as Bibas’s body highlighted “the cruelty of the Hamas monsters knows no bounds.”
Hamas later admitted that there may have been an “error or mix-up” when preparing the remains.
On Friday, the group asked Israel to return the Palestinian woman’s body, promising to “examine the allegations very seriously” and keep “mediators” informed.
Hamas also repeated its claim of being committed to the ceasefire-hostage release deal, which it signed last month with Israel.
Bibas was abducted on October 7 alongside hundreds of other Israelis.
Her husband, Yarden, was also taken by Hamas but was eventually released alive.
Their sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, were confirmed by Israeli officials to have been killed in captivity, sparking a national day of mourning when their bodies were returned.
“Not only did they abduct the father, Yarden Bibas, the young mother, Shiri, and their two small infants in an unimaginably cynical manner, but they also failed to return Shiri to her small children, the little angels, and instead placed the body of a Gazan woman in a coffin,” said Netanyahu.
As the boys coffins crossed back into Israel under Red Cross supervision, crowds lined the roads, waving flags, and paying respects.
Their short lives and tragic deaths have become a symbol of suffering for many Israelis, who say the abduction of children stands as the ultimate sign of Hamas’s brutality.
“The events of the past 24 hours only highlight the urgent need to shorten the timeline of the deal, act swiftly, and above all, bring everyone home,” said a statement from the group representing Israeli hostage families.
“Israel must respond wisely and responsibly to violations of the agreement and not relent.”
While Hamas staged a public ceremony in southern Gaza to hand over the coffins, Israeli television networks refused to broadcast what they called a “macabre display.”
A poster depicting Netanyahu as a vampire towered over the scene, with slogans blaming him for the deaths.
Officials say the failure to return Bibas’s remains underscores the need for stricter oversight and swift responses to any ceasefire breaches.
For now, the whereabouts of Bibas remain unknown, and Israeli authorities continue to urge international mediation to fix what they view as a deliberate violation of the truce.