Family Confirms New Body Handed Over by Hamas is of Shiri Bibas

Israeli forensic authorities have now confirmed that the remains handed over on Friday belong to Shiri Bibas, the Israeli mother who was kidnapped with her two sons on October 7, 2023. The identification followed an embarrassing episode on Thursday, when a body initially thought to be hers was later determined to be that of an unidentified Palestinian woman.  

Red Cross ambulances are on standby as Hamas prepares to release six Israeli hostages. The handover, set for Saturday, comes under the ongoing Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which has already seen multiple exchanges of hostages and prisoners. However, the process has been overshadowed by a fresh dispute between the two sides over the misidentification of a body returned by Hamas.  

“For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure,” the Bibas family said in a statement.  

Israel has accused Hamas of a deliberate “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing retaliation.  

The bodies of Bibas’ two young sons—10-month-old Kfir and four-year-old Ariel—were also returned alongside that of Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old Israeli hostage. Israel has alleged that Hamas executed them, while the militant group claims they were killed in an Israeli airstrike.  

Hamas Defends Its Actions, Moves Forward With Hostage Release  

Amid growing criticism, Hamas has pledged to conduct a “thorough review” of how the misidentification occurred, suggesting that Israeli airstrikes on Gaza may have led to the mix-up. The group’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, insisted that it would proceed with the release of the six Israeli hostages as planned.  

Saturday’s expected release is significant as it marks the final set of hostages being freed under the first phase of the truce. With talks underway for a possible second phase of the ceasefire, the latest dispute has raised concerns about future negotiations.  

Six Hostages Set for Release  

The six Israeli men expected to be freed include Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23—all of whom were kidnapped from a music festival during the October 7 attack. Also among them is 40-year-old Tal Shoham, taken from Kibbutz Beeri.  

Two other men, Avera Mengistu, 39, and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, who had separately crossed into Gaza years ago and were later held by Hamas, are also part of the exchange.

Israel to Free Over 600 Palestinian Prisoners  

In return, Israel will release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Palestinian prisoners’ media office. The list includes 50 prisoners serving life sentences, 60 with long-term convictions, 47 individuals who were freed in previous hostage-for-prisoner swaps but later re-arrested, and 445 detainees from Gaza who have been held since the war began.  
 

(With Inputs from AP)