Four bodies of Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas
Four bodies of Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas
Digital desk: Hamas delivered coffins it claimed held the remains of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including those of the Bibas family, who have become emblematic of the suffering that has engulfed Israel.
This marks the first time Hamas has transferred bodies since it attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the war, occurring under a delicate ceasefire that has allowed for the exchange of living hostages for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
The ceremony for the repatriation of Shiri Bibas, her two young sons—Kfir and Ariel—and a fourth captive, Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when taken, occurred at an old cemetery in Khan Yunis, a city in southern Gaza.
Prior to the handover, Hamas showcased four black coffins on a platform set up on the sandy ground. Behind them hung a banner depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed as a blood-covered vampire. An armed fighter was present nearby.
Each coffin displayed a small portrait of the deceased. An AFPTV footage showed a militant, whose face was covered with a red and white keffiyeh scarf, sat on the stage finalizing paperwork with a Red Cross representative before the coffins were loaded into Red Cross vehicles.
Subsequently, the Israeli military verified that the remains of the captives were delivered.
A large crowd gathered to witness the event. A barrier was set up to keep spectators away from the specific area where the transfer to the Red Cross was to take place.
Armed individuals in military uniforms adorned with Hamas headbands were widespread, positioned near the stage for the ceremony—carefully orchestrated similar to previous hostage transfers during the ceasefire.
Video footage of the family’s kidnapping, recorded and shared by Hamas during their assault, portrayed the mother and her sons, Ariel, then aged four, and Kfir, just nine months old, being taken from their residence near the Gaza border.
Yarden Bibas, the father of the boys and Shiri’s husband, was abducted separately that day and was later freed from the Gaza Strip in a prior hostage-prisoner swap on February 1.
