Hamas “will pay the price” for not returning Shiri Bibas’ body, says Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas “will pay the price” for not returning the body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas. The statement comes after the militant group claimed to have released the remains of four hostages, including Bibas and her two young children. However, Israeli authorities have stated that one of the bodies was not hers, calling it a “serious violation.”
Israel condemns Hamas’ actions
On Thursday, Hamas announced that it had handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages. Among them were Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir. However, Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that while Ariel and Kfir were identified, the third body was not Shiri’s nor that of any known hostage.
“This is an unidentified body,” the IDF said in a statement, adding that the family, including Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, was informed. Yarden Bibas had been released earlier this month as part of a fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas has claimed that Shiri and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike during the early days of the war. Israel, however, has rejected this claim, stating that forensic evidence confirms Hamas executed the hostages.
U.S. official condemns violation of ceasefire
Concerns for the Bibas family had been growing since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel. Kfir, only nine months old at the time, was the youngest hostage taken. Israeli media confirmed that the fourth body belonged to Oded Lifshitz, an 85-year-old journalist and Palestinian rights activist.
Speaking to CNN, U.S. envoy for hostages Adam Boehler described Hamas’ failure to return Shiri Bibas’ body as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement established in January. “If I were them, I would release everyone, or they will face total annihilation,” he warned.
Rising tensions and continued conflict
The announcement came just hours after Netanyahu ordered an Israeli military offensive against Hamas “terror centers” in the occupied West Bank. The operation followed multiple explosions in Bat Yam, where three parked buses were targeted. Israeli authorities have called the incident a “suspected terrorist attack,” though no group has claimed responsibility.
Hamas was scheduled to release six more hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, it remains uncertain whether the exchange will proceed as planned. The fragile ceasefire, which halted 15 months of fighting, may also be at risk if hostilities escalate.
Negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire are set to begin in the coming days. This phase is expected to focus on the release of approximately 60 remaining hostages still held in Gaza and the potential full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the region.
As tensions continue to rise, the international community watches closely. The future of the ceasefire, the fate of the remaining hostages, and the potential for renewed conflict remain uncertain.
