Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday condemned Hamas for failing to hand over the remains of Shiri Bibas, a mother of two taken hostage by militants, in spite of a promise to do so.
Netanyahu clarified that the body returned was that of a Gaza resident, not Bibas.
Hamas had turned over the bodies of Bibas’ sons, Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months), along with 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz.
However, forensic experts later determined that the fourth coffin did not contain Shiri Bibas’ remains, as claimed by Hamas.
The Israeli military called this a “violation of utmost severity” of the fragile ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, Netanyahu condemned Hamas, stating, “The cruelty of the Hamas monsters knows no bounds” and vowed to bring all hostages home, both living and deceased, while ensuring Hamas pays the price for the violation.
He clarified that the remains in the coffin were of a “Gazan woman,” not Bibas.
Hamas has claimed the Bibas family was killed in an Israeli airstrike, but no evidence has been presented to support this claim.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed devastation over the failure to return Shiri and urged the world to act in securing the release of all hostages.
