Hamas says it is reviewing Israeli claims about the body of Shiri Bibas and acknowledges a possible mix-up due to Israeli strikes.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas has announced that it will examine Israeli claims regarding the body of captive Sheri Bibas and acknowledged the possibility of an error due to the Israeli bombing of the location where she was held.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas responded to Israeli allegations that it had mistakenly handed over the body of a Palestinian woman instead of Bibas on Thursday.
The movement said it is taking the claims “very seriously” and will announce its findings transparently.
Hamas stated, “We highlight the possibility of an error or overlap in the bodies, which may have resulted from the occupation targeting the place where the family was located along with other Palestinians,” referring to Shiri Bibas and her two children.
Gaza Accuses Red Cross of Double Standards in Handling Prisoners’ Bodies
The statement further emphasized, “We have no interest in withholding or not complying with the return of any bodies in our possession. We call for the return of the body that the occupation claims belongs to a Palestinian woman.”
Hamas also rejected the threats issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stressed the need to adhere to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“We affirm our seriousness and full commitment to all our obligations, as demonstrated by our actions over the past days,” the statement read.
Netanyahu’s Accusations
Netanyahu had accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by failing to hand over Bibas’ body alongside those returned to Israel on Thursday.
In a video statement, he declared, “We will act decisively to bring Shiri home, along with all our hostages, living and dead, and ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this brutal and evil violation of the agreement.”
The Israeli military announced early Friday that forensic examinations confirmed that one of the bodies received from Gaza did not belong to Bibas or any other captive.
The Israeli military accused Hamas of committing “a very serious violation” and claimed that Ariel and Kfir Bibas—who were held captive along with their mother—were killed in November 2023 by their captors, not by Israeli bombardment, as Hamas has asserted.
Israeli authorities informed the Bibas family of the identification of their two children and demanded that Hamas return Shiri Bibas, along with all remaining captives.
On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance handed over four bodies to Israel through the Red Cross.
The handover ceremony took place in Bani Suhaila, Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza. Hamas stated that the process was conducted with respect for the sanctity of the dead and without ceremonial aspects.
The Al-Quds Brigades published scenes from the handover of the body of the Israeli detainee Oded Lifshitz and the bodies of the Bibas family as part of the first stage of the prisoner exchange deal.
Translation Notes:
0:06 – Decision to retrieve the body of a zionist captive.… pic.twitter.com/QEFhGmlt1t
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 20, 2025
The exchange was carried out as part of a ceasefire agreement reached last month. The agreement stipulates that six living Israeli captives will be released on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, expected to include women and minors detained by Israeli forces during the war.
Negotiations for the second phase of the agreement are set to begin in the coming days. This phase is expected to involve the return of approximately 60 remaining Israeli captives—fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive—as well as a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
(PC, AJA)
