Israel Grieves As Bodies Of Hamas Hostages Released
on Feb 20, 2025
UPDATE 8:06 CST
Israel announced late Thursday that after forensic testing, the identities of Israeli children Ariel and Kfir Bibas were confirmed after their bodies were released by Hamas. But, in a heartbreaking and unexpected finding, the body presumed to be their mother, Shiri Bibas, was not positively identified.
According to the Israeli military, the body labeled as that of Shiri Bibas was “an anonymous, unidentified body.” Not only did the body not belong to Bibas, but it didn’t match the identity of any other hostages.
“This is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages,” the military said. “We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages.”
ORIGINAL STORY
Table of Contents
- On Thursday (February 20), sixteen months after they were abducted during a Hamas-led attack on Israel, the bodies of four hostages were released.
- Yarden Bibas and the rest of the country held out hope that his family was still alive since Hamas hadn’t confirmed their deaths.
- The exchange is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
On Thursday (February 20), sixteen months after they were abducted during a Hamas-led attack on Israel, the bodies of four hostages were released.
The bodies believed to be those of Shiri Bibas and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, aged 4 years old and months old, respectively, at the time of their capture, are among those released. The fourth body was that of 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz.
The Bibas family became a symbol of the Gaza hostage crisis following their abduction on October 7, 2023. Shiri’s husband, Yarden, was also taken hostage but was released alive earlier this month. Hamas says that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were killed during Israeli strikes during the Gaza war.
Yarden Bibas and the rest of the country held out hope that his family was still alive since Hamas hadn’t confirmed their deaths.
Those hopes were dashed Thursday when bodies said to belong to them were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A ceremony marking the transfer of the deceased took place near a cemetery in southern Gaza. Masked Hamas men carried the coffins, draped in black and donning posters with messages written in Hebrew and English, to waiting vans.
The bodies were received by Israeli troops and a brief memorial service was held. Mourners lined the roads across the Israel border and the bodies were transported to a forensic institute for identification and official autopsies.
The exchange is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Israel agreed to release more than 600 captives in exchange for the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz.
Israel is expected to release some who have been imprisoned and are facing life sentences for attacks against Israel. Some women and minors who have been held “without charge or sentencing” are also expected to be released.
