Human remains believed to be those of Shiri Bibas, who was abducted by Hamas along with her two young children in 2023, have been returned to Israel. The Bibas family confirmed that Shiri’s remains were identified following an examination at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. The remains of her children, Ariel and Kfir, as well as an elderly man named Oded Lifshitz, were also returned by Hamas earlier. However, the body initially believed to be Shiri’s was found to be someone else’s, causing outrage among Israeli officials.
Hamas claimed that Shiri and her children were killed by an Israeli airstrike, but the Israeli military said the children were actually murdered in captivity by Hamas members. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Hamas for their actions and accused them of a “cynical act” in returning the wrong body. The IDF also stated that the remains returned by Hamas did not match any other missing hostages held by the group.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed their condolences to the Bibas family for their loss and stated that the return of Shiri’s remains marked the end of over 500 days of uncertainty and pain. The IDF is currently reviewing reports of a new body being released. The situation has highlighted the ongoing tensions and conflicts between Israel and Hamas, with the families of hostages caught in the middle of the violence.
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