Israel denounces Hamas' breach of agreement by not handing over the body of Shiri Bibas: 'This is a violation of utmost severity'

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Thursday the recovery of the bodies of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. However, the third body delivered does not belong to their mother, Shiri Bibas, nor does it match any identified hostage.

The killing of the children and Hamas's non-compliance

According to the IDF, forensic and military intelligence analysis concluded that Ariel, 4, and Kfir, just 10 months old, were murdered in November 2023 by Hamas terrorists, weeks after they were abducted in Nir Oz along with their mother. Their deaths add to the list of crimes perpetrated by the Islamist organization, responsible for the massive attack that sparked the war in the region.

Despite the delivery of these bodies, Israel denounced that Hamas breached the agreement to return the bodies of four deceased hostages, since instead of handing over the body of Shiri Bibas, it provided the remains of an unidentified person. "This is an anonymous, unidentified body," the IDF stated, demanding that Hamas return Shiri and all remaining 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 IDF noted.

The Bibas family continues to wait for answers, as pressure mounts on Hamas to shed light on what happened. "We remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure Shiri and all the hostages are brought home at the earliest opportunity," Israeli officials said.

The body of an activist was also handed over

Along with the bodies of the Bibas children, Israel received the remains of Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old peace activist and founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz, kidnapped on October 7. His wife, Yocheved, was captured separately and released 16 days later.

Release of the father of the Bibas family

Yarden Bibas, the father of the family, was released on February 1, 2025 as part of a hostage exchange agreement. However, his return was marked by the tragedy of losing his wife and children in captivity.