Brief Summary
The Israeli military has confirmed that one of the four bodies returned from Gaza to Israel is not Shiri Bibas, as claimed by Hamas. The bodies of her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, were identified, but the third body was not their mother's. The IDF demanded the return of Shiri Bibas and the remaining hostages. The release of hostages' bodies was agreed as part of the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on 19 January. Israel has confirmed there will be eight. The two sides agreed to exchange 33 hostages for about 1,900 prisoners by the end of the first six weeks of the ceasefire. Talks on progressing to the next phase of the deal, under which the remaining living hostages would be released and the war would end permanently, were due to start earlier this month but have not yet begun.
- The Israeli military confirmed that one of the four bodies returned from Gaza to Israel is not Shiri Bibas.
- The release of hostages' bodies was agreed as part of the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on 19 January.
Body Returned from Gaza is not Bibas Mother, Israeli Military Says
The Israeli military has confirmed that one of the four bodies returned from Gaza to Israel is not Shiri Bibas, as claimed by Hamas. The news that Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who would now be aged five and two, were dead triggered an outpouring of grief in Israel. The Israel Defense Forces has informed the Bibas family that the bodies of her sons have been identified after their remains were given to Israel by Hamas on Thursday. But the third body was not that of their mother, the IDF says. It demanded the return of her body along with the other remaining hostages. Hamas has not yet commented on Israel's claim.
Israeli Family Mourns 'Man of Peace' as Body Returned from Gaza
The release of hostages' bodies was agreed as part of the ceasefire deal which came into effect on 19 January. Israel has confirmed there will be eight. The two sides agreed to exchange 33 hostages for about 1,900 prisoners by the end of the first six weeks of the ceasefire. Talks on progressing to the next phase of the deal - under which the remaining living hostages would be released and the war would end permanently - were due to start earlier this month but have not yet begun. Twenty-eight hostages and more than 1,000 prisoners have so far been exchanged. Sixty-six hostages taken on 7 October are still being held in Gaza. Three other hostages, taken more than a decade ago, are also being held. About half of all the hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
Return of Bodies Marks Day of Anguish for Israel
About 1,200 people - mostly civilians - were killed in the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and 251 others taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel launched a massive military campaign against Hamas in response, which has killed at least 48,297 Palestinians - mainly civilians - according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
