The body of a woman assumed to be one of the four dead hostages that Hamas killed and handed over to Israel this week was positively identified on Saturday morning.
The hostage headquarters and missing families confirmed the identification of Shiri Bibasa, who was returned to Israel on Friday after Hamas initially handed over a Palestinian woman from Gaza on Thursday.
Hamas handed over a coffin on Friday that wore the bibs’ remains to the red cross, which turned tHe poured the Israeli authorities. The coffin was then taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
“Last night, our shiri was returned home,” the family said in a statement. “After the identification procedure at the Forensic Medicine Institute, we got the news we were afraid this morning – our Shiri was killed in captivity and now returned home to her sons, husband, sister and her entire family on vacation.”
Shiri Bibas and her children, Shiri Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Ariel Bibas. Of the four bodies Hamas returned to Israel on Thursday, two were identified as two young children. The third was assumed to be their mother at first, but not, the Israeli defense forces said. (Kindness: Forum of Family with hostages)
“Despite our fears from their destiny, we continued to hope to embrace them, and now we are pain and broken from the heart,” continued. “We have been looking for security for 16 months, and now that it is here, it does not bring solace, although we hope it will mark the beginning of the closure.”
The family said that “Shiri was a wonderful mother Ariel and Kfir, a love partner Yarden, a dedicated sister and aunt and an incredible friend.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Hamas would “pay a full price” because he allegedly handed over the body of the Palestinian woman from Gaza instead of the remains of Bibas.
The Hamas terrorists took the Bibas family on October 7, 2023. (Fox & Friends/Screengrab)
The Israeli army said earlier that she had positively identified the remains of Bibas’s two sons – Ariel and Kfir Bibas – along with Odeed Lifshitz. Four bodies were returned on Thursday, but the one that is expected to hold Shiri Bibas did not hold any hostages.
Hamas said that “there is no interest in withholding any body in his possession.” A group of terrorism announced that the dead hostages he handed over Thursday killed Israeli Air attack in November 2023 and that the bodies could have been wrongly identified for bombing in the area.
After the return of Shiri Bibasa, the family calls for the return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Six is released on Saturday.
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“In this difficult hour, we continue to demand and demand the immediate return of the remaining hostages that are still in captivity. There is no more important goal. There can be no rehab without them,” said the Bibas family.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
