Israeli military says four bodies returned home on Thursday by Hamas do not include the body of Shiri Bibas.
Israeli military call such move by the militant group as a “violation of utmost severity” of a ceasefire deal that was already precarious.
The Israeli military confirmed that two of the bodies were Bibas’ children, Ariel and Kfir, in the early hours of Friday. However, it added “During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body.”
“We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages,” it said. There was no immediate response from Hamas. Thursday’s release marked the first time the group has returned the remains of dead hostages.
The army said it had notified the family, including Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and father of the two boys, who was released early this month as part of the ceasefire deal.
Bibas and her children – who Hamas says were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the early days of the war – became a symbol of the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023. The body of the fourth hostage has been confirmed as that of 85-year-old Oded Lifshitz, according to his family.
A top US official issued a stark warning for Hamas after the announcement from Israel that Shiri Bibas’s body had not been returned. Speaking to CNN, US envoy Adam Boehler said it was “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire halting fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation,” said Boehler, who serves as the US envoy for hostages.
Friday’s statement came hours after Israeli prime Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to conduct an “intense operation” against “terror hubs” in the occupied West Bank after a series of explosions on three parked buses in Bat Yam, a city outside Tel Aviv, that authorities said was a suspected terrorist attack. No injuries were reported.
Explosives were found on two other buses but did not detonate, police spokesperson Asi Aharoni told Channel 13 TV. Israeli police said the five bombs were identical and equipped with timers, and bomb squads were defusing the unexploded bombs.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions.
Israel has been carrying out intensified raids on the occupied West Bank since October 2023, killing hundreds of Palestinians. At least 51 Palestinians including seven children have been killed an a crackdown on the northern West Bank launched by Israel on 21 January, according to the UN.
Thursday’s handover of bodies is to be followed by the return of six living hostages on Saturday, in exchange for hundreds more Palestinian prisoners and detainees, expected to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Negotiations for a second phase, expected to cover the return of about 60 remaining hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip to allow an end to the war, are expected to begin in the coming days.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
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