Israel Reels in Disbelief: Hamas’s Cynical Deception Delays Loved One’s Return
Jerusalem – Israel was plunged into shock on Friday, February 21, after the Israeli military revealed that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas was not that of Shiri Bibas. The revelation came as the country anxiously awaited the return of the remains of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, aged four and eight months, and their mother.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, had claimed to be returning the bodies of all three family members, along with that of 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who had been kidnapped on October 7, 2023. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of "unspeakable cynicism" after it was determined that the body in question was that of a Gazan woman, not Shiri Bibas.
"They did not return Shiri to her little angels. Instead, they put the body of a Gazan woman in the coffin," Netanyahu denounced. He vowed to act "with determination to bring Shiri home, along with all our hostages, living and dead." Netanyahu called on Hamas to "pay the price for this cruel and perverse violation of the agreement," as another exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners is scheduled to take place on Saturday.
Hamas, which had previously stated in November that Shiri Bibas and her children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, admitted to "the possibility of a mistake or a mix-up of bodies," accusing Netanyahu of "trying to improve his image." The group "calls for the return of the bodies that the occupation claims belong to a Palestinian woman," Hamas added.
The Bibas family expressed their anguish and "expectation" for Shiri’s return in a video posted on Facebook by the Forum for Hostage and Missing Persons’ Families. They criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the situation: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we have not even received an apology from you during these difficult times," the family stated. "We are not seeking revenge now, we want Shiri."
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari declared on Friday that "Ariel and Kfir [Bibas] were not killed in an airstrike" as Hamas claimed, but "were killed in cold blood by the terrorists." He also asserted that Oded Lifshitz, the fourth hostage whose remains were returned to Israel Thursday, was "murdered in captivity."
The Forum for Hostage and Missing Persons’ Families expressed "deep shock" at the "cruel and brutal" murder of children Ariel and Kfir Bibas while in captivity. Kfir Bibas was the youngest of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, of whom 67 remain captive in Gaza, including 35 confirmed dead, according to the military. Their father, also kidnapped on that day, was released on February 1.
This marked the first time that Hamas had returned hostage bodies since the beginning of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by its October 7 terrorist attack. Several deceased hostages had been recovered by the Israeli military during its operations in the Palestinian enclave.
Despite these developments, Hamas reaffirmed that it would proceed with the planned release of six Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on January 19 after 15 months of devastating warfare. The group stressed its "full commitment" to the ceasefire and insisted that it has "no interest in violating it or in holding bodies" of hostages.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, 602 Palestinian detainees are set to be released from Israeli prisons in return, which Israel has not confirmed. Hamas stated that the six hostages to be freed Saturday are the last living captives who will be returned to Israel by March 1. A total of 33 hostages, eight of them deceased, are to be handed over by Hamas in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel in the first phase of the agreement. So far, 22 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners in five successive exchanges.
On Wednesday, Hamas expressed its willingness to release "in one go," rather than in stages, all hostages still held in Gaza in the second phase. However, indirect negotiations on this second phase, which is meant to permanently end the war, have been delayed as both sides accused each other of truce violations. The third and final phase is expected to address the reconstruction of Gaza.
The latest developments underscore the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the challenges of securing peace in the Middle East. The families of the victims and the international community alike have condemned Hamas’s actions, demanding accountability and the return of all hostages. The situation remains fluid, with both sides facing pressure to resolve the hostage issue and move towards a sustainable ceasefire.
