GAZA/JERUSALEM, Israel — Hamas has returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including those of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, the youngest captives taken during the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
However, Israeli authorities have confirmed that the remains expected to be those of their mother, Shiri Bibas, were not among them.
The bodies were transferred under the terms of an ongoing ceasefire deal, with Hamas staging a high-profile handover in Khan Younis, where the caskets were paraded in front of propaganda banners before being placed into Red Cross vehicles for transfer to Israeli officials.
Hamas’ Violation of Ceasefire Agreement
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) condemned Hamas for failing to return Shiri Bibas’ body, calling it a “very serious violation” of the agreement.
“We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all of our abductees,” the IDF said in a statement.
Hamas had earlier announced that the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, along with 84-year-old hostage Oded Lifshitz, would be released this week.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed devastation over the discovery that Shiri’s remains were missing.
“We are horrified and devastated by the news that their mother, Shiri, was not returned—despite the agreement and our desperate hopes,” the group said.
The IDF reported that Kfir and Ariel were “brutally murdered in captivity in November 2023” by Hamas terrorists, a month after the family was abducted from their home in Nir Oz. Kfir was just shy of 9 months old, and Ariel was 4 years old at the time of the attack.
Israeli Leaders React
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his grief and anger over the return of the bodies, writing on X (formerly Twitter):
“We bow our heads for the heavy loss of our four hostages. We are all in pain, a pain that is mixed with rage. We will bring back all our hostages, destroy the murderers, and eliminate Hamas.”
The handover took place amid an orchestrated display by Hamas, which included anti-Israel banners and images of Israeli leaders caricatured with antisemitic tropes.
White missiles spattered with red paint and labelled “They were killed by USA bombs” were placed near the stage where the bodies were displayed.
Upcoming Hostage Releases Under Ceasefire Deal
In addition to the remains handed over Thursday, six living hostages are scheduled for release on Saturday, according to Israeli officials and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The group includes:
- Eliya Cohen, 27
- Omer Shem Tov, 22
- Omer Wenkert, 23
- Tal Shoham, 40
- Hisham Al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, civilians who have been held in Gaza for about a decade after separately crossing the border in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Cohen, Shem Tov, and Wenkert were kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where more than 360 people were killed on October 7.
Shoham was taken from the Beeri kibbutz.
The upcoming handover will mark a critical moment in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which has so far resulted in the return of several hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Ongoing Negotiations for Remaining Hostages
The first stage of the ceasefire agreement included plans for the return of 33 hostages.
If Saturday’s handover is completed, four presumed-dead hostages will remain in Gaza under this phase.
Meanwhile, talks for the second phase of the ceasefire, originally scheduled to begin February 4, are expected to resume in the coming days.
The next round of negotiations aims to secure the release of 64 remaining hostages and outline a post-war framework for governing Gaza.
As Israel and Hamas continue to navigate the ceasefire process, the fate of the remaining hostages—including the unanswered question of what happened to Shiri Bibas—remains a source of deep anguish for their families and the broader Israeli public.
