Hamas Allegedly Releases Body of Deceased Hostage After Discrepancies
The Tragic Ordeal of the Bibas Family and the Brutal Murders by Hamas
Friday, February 3, 2023: Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, is accused of handing over the body of Shiri Bibas, a purported victim of cold-blooded murder, to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The coffin was subsequently transferred to Israeli authorities for forensic identification.
This development comes in the wake of previous transfer discrepancies that raised concerns. On Thursday, Israel had received four bodies believed to be those of slain hostages. However, the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) identified only two individuals as Shiri Bibas’s children, Ariel and Kfir.
To the dismay of the Bibas family and the Israeli public, the body lying in the coffin bearing Shiri Bibas’s name and photograph belonged to an unknown woman. Outrage erupted over this apparent deception.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the grim reality: Ariel and Kfir Bibas, aged four and ten months, were mercilessly killed by Hamas terrorists. The fourth body, yet unidentified, is presumed to be Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist.
A Family Torn Apart
For months, the Bibas family held out hope for the safe return of their beloved children. As their worst nightmare unfolded, their despair and anguish deepened.
"Yesterday, our worst nightmare was confirmed," lamented IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. "Kfir and Ariel were murdered in cold blood. The terrorists didn’t shoot them—they killed them with their bare hands."
(Citation: "IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, ‘For months, we prayed for the Bibas babies to come home.’ YESTERDAY, OUR WORST NIGHTMARE WAS CONFIRMED. Kfir and Ariel were murdered in cold blood. The terrorists didn’t shoot them—they killed them with their bare hands.’")
International Condemnation and Demands
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed his profound sorrow and outrage.
"Today is a tragic day, a day of boundless sorrow, of indescribable pain," Netanyahu stated. "Four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his baby brother one-year-old Kfir, and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz were brutally murdered by Hamas savages."
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, denounced Hamas’s actions as a violation of basic human decency.
"Instead of returning Shiri, the mother of Kfir and Ariel, Hamas returned an unidentified body, as if it were a worthless shipment. This is a new low, an evil and cruelty with no parallel," Danon asserted.
A Promise of Retribution
Netanyahu vowed retaliation against Hamas for its inhumane conduct.
"God will save their blood, and we will take revenge, too," Netanyahu declared.
The Hostages and Missing Families forum condemned Hamas’s brutality.
"This barbaric act is yet another undeniable testament to the unfathomable brutality of those who continue to hold our loved ones captive," the group stated.
A Call for Accountability
As the investigation into the deaths of the Bibas children and Oded Lifshitz continues, the international community has expressed its deepest condolences to the victims’ families.
The United States, through its State Department, strongly condemned Hamas’s actions.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the families of those killed. We condemn in the strongest terms the kidnapping and murder of innocent civilians. Hamas must be held accountable for its heinous crimes," the statement read.
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for an immediate end to violence and respect for international humanitarian law.
"I urge all parties to work towards a peaceful and just resolution to the conflict," Guterres said.
As the sun sets on this tragic chapter, the families of the slain victims are left with the unimaginable pain of their loss. Hamas’s actions have once again demonstrated the depths of its inhumanity and the urgent need for accountability.
