Israel says Shiri Bibas is not among bodies returned from Gaza, Hamas pledges to investigate

Israel says it has identified two of the dead bodies returned by Hamas on Thursday as Ariel and Kfir Bibas – but tests show another body that was expected to be that of their mother Shiri is not hers – and does not match any other Israeli hostage.

The body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas was not among the four returned by Hamas from Gaza on Thursday, Israel’s military has said, accusing the Palestinian militant group of a “violation of utmost severity” of the precarious ceasefire deal. Hamas said it will investigate Israel’s claims, insisting that it intends to abide by the terms of the ceasefire deal reached with Israel. The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that two of the four bodies handed over were Shiri’s young sons Kfir and Ariel, along with another captive Oded Lifshitz. However, during the identification process, the military determined one of the bodies received was not that of Shiri Bibas, and did not match with other hostages. “This is an anonymous, unidentified body,” the military said in a statement. “We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages,” added the military. The revelation is the latest tragic twist for the Bibas family, who have become among the most recognizable victims of the October 7 terror attacks, with confirmation of their deaths triggering an outpouring of grief in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday described Hamas’ failure to return Shiri’s body as “an unimaginable cynical move.”