Israel says Hamas has not handed over the physique of hostage Shiri Bibas – saying that they had as a substitute obtained the stays of an “anonymous body without identification”.
Ms Bibas was kidnapped along with her sons – four-year-old Ariel, and nine-month-old Kfir – from the Niz Or kibbutz through the Palestinian militant group’s incursion into Israel in October 2023.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) has confirmed they obtained the our bodies of Ariel and Kfir on Thursday.
Nevertheless, they mentioned the physique that Hamas had claimed was their mom was not her and the group had due to this fact violated the ceasefire settlement.
In a press release, the IDF mentioned: “Through the identification course of, it was discovered that the extra physique obtained was not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was discovered for another abductee. It’s an nameless physique with out identification.
“This is a very serious violation by the Hamas terrorist organisation, which is required by the agreement to return four dead abductees. We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all of our abductees.”
The IDF added: “We share the deep sorrow of the Bibas family at this difficult time and will continue to make every effort to return Shiri and all the kidnapped as soon as possible.”
The physique of journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was kidnapped, was additionally handed over on Thursday.
Hamas has mentioned they had been all killed in Israeli airstrikes close to the beginning of the warfare. The group has by no means supplied proof to again this up, whereas Israel has not confirmed the claims.
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Hamas fingers over our bodies of Israeli hostages
Hamas handed over the stays as a part of the Gaza ceasefire settlement which was reached with Israel final month.
The our bodies had been transferred in 4 black coffins in a fastidiously orchestrated public show as a crowd of Palestinians and dozens of armed Hamas militants watched.
Israelis lined the street within the rain close to the Gaza border to pay their respects because the convoy carrying the coffins drove by.
In Tel Aviv, folks gathered, some weeping, in a public sq. reverse Israel’s defence headquarters that has come to be referred to as Hostages Sq..
In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to remove Hamas and mentioned the 4 coffins meant “more than ever” that Israel had to make sure there was no repeat of the 7 October assault.
Mr Netanyahu mentioned: “Our loved ones’ blood is shouting at us from the soil and is obliging us to settle the score with the despicable murderers, and we will.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog mentioned: “Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts – the hearts of an entire nation – lie in tatters.”
United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, referred to as the parading of the 4 our bodies “cruel” and “inhumane” in a press release on Thursday.
He mentioned: “Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”
The Bibas household has change into a strong image of the 251 Israelis kidnapped on 7 October – not least as a result of Kfir was the youngest taken.
The kids’s father, Yarden Bibas, was launched on 1 February as a part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
In the meantime, six residing hostages, the ultimate as a consequence of be freed below the primary section of the Gaza truce deal, will probably be launched on Saturday, in keeping with Hamas.
Israelis who survived being held prisoner in Gaza have been launched in small teams for the reason that first six-week section started final month.
The deal has supplied a significant pause within the combating that is devastated Gaza and left tens of 1000’s useless.
At the very least 1,200 folks had been killed within the assault that began the warfare.
Since then, the Hamas-run Gaza well being ministry says greater than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli assaults. Its figures don’t differentiate between civilians and fighters.
