IDF accuses Hamas of returning wrong body — RT World News

Israel has accused Hamas of releasing an “unidentified body” instead of the remains of a mother who died in captivity in Gaza alongside her two young children. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the body of Shiri Bibas was not handed over alongside those of her sons Kfir and Ariel.

Hamas released four bodies on Thursday that it claimed were hostages, including the remains of Shiri and her sons. The fourth body released as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement was that of hostage Oded Lifshitz, 83, whose family confirmed that his remains had been identified.

However, while an Israeli forensic analysis confirmed the identities of the two children, Kfir and Ariel, the IDF stated that the third body received was not that of their mother, Shiri. 

“No match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body,” the IDF said in a statement.

The Israeli military described the situation as a “violation of utmost severity” by Hamas, accusing the militant group of failing to fulfill its obligation to return all four deceased hostages. It also demanded the immediate return of Shiri Bibas’s body, along with all remaining hostages.

According to the IDF, the Bibas boys were “brutally murdered” in captivity in November 2023. At the time of his death, Ariel was four years old, while his brother, Kfir, was just ten months old. They were taken along with their mother, Shiri, from their home in Nir Oz. Their father, Yarden Bibas, was abducted earlier after attempting to protect his family. He was later released on February 1, 2025, as part of a hostage return agreement.