The body of a woman who was presumed to have been one of the four dead hostages killed by Hamas and handed over to Israel this week was identified positively on Saturday morning.
The headquarters of the Smarting and Smart Families forum confirmed the identification of Shiri Bibas, which was returned to Israel on Friday after Hamas initially gave a Palestinian woman from Gaza on Thursday.
Hamas put a coffin on Friday carrying out of Bibas to the Red Cross, which turned tHe headed for the Israeli authorities. The coffin was then taken to the National Institute of Legal Medicine for Identification.
“Last night, our Shiri was returned home,” the family said in a statement. “Following the process of identifying at the Institute of Legal Medicine, we received this morning the news that we had feared – our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned home to his sons, her husband, her husband, her husband, her husband, her husband, her husband, her husband, her husband sister and all her family to rest. “
Shiri Bibas and her children, Shiri Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Ariel Bibas. Of the four bodies returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday, two were identified as the two young children. A third was initially presumed to be their mother, but that was not the case, the Israeli defense forces said. )
“Despite our fears for their fate, we continued to hope that we could kiss them, and now we are in pain and with a broken heart,” he continued. “For 16 months, we have looked for certainty, and now that it is here, it does not bring any comfort, although we hope it marks the start of the closure.”
The family said that “Shiri was a wonderful mother for Ariel and Kfir, a yarden loving partner, a dedicated sister and aunt, and an incredible friend.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Hamas “would pay the high prize” for allegedly gave the body of a Gaza Palestinian instead of Bibas remains.
Hamas terrorists took the Bibas family on October 7, 2023. (Fox & Friends / Screengrab)
The Israeli army said earlier that it had positively identified the remains of the two sons of Bibas – Ariel and Kfir Bibas – with Oded Lifshitz. Four bodies were returned on Thursday, but the one who should hold Shiri Bibas held no hostage.
Hamas said that it “had no interest in retaining bodies in its possession”. The terrorist group said that the dead hostages he had given Thursday had been killed by an Israeli air strike in November 2023 and that the bodies could have been poorly identified due to bombing in the region.
After the return of Shiri Bibas, the family requests the return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Six is ​​released on Saturday.
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“During this difficult hour, we continue to demand and ask for the immediate return of the remaining hostages still in captivity. There is no more important objective. There can be no rehabilitation without them,” said The Bibas family.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
