The household of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas says a brand new physique handed over by Hamas on Friday is hers.
“Our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned dwelling,” the household mentioned in a press release. Israel’s forensic officers who’ve been analyzing the physique are but to substantiate the identification.
Stays handed over by Hamas on Thursday which it mentioned had been that of Shiri Bibas turned out to be an unidentified lady, Israel mentioned.
It comes as six dwelling hostages are as a result of be handed over by Hamas in a while Saturday as a part of the ceasefire deal. Greater than 600 Palestinian prisoners will probably be freed in change.
The Bibas household mentioned: “For 16 months, we sought certainty, and now that we now have it, there isn’t a consolation in it, however we hope for the start of a closure.”
Hamas claimed Shiri Bibas and her two kids had been killed by Israeli bombing, with out offering proof.
Earlier, a senior Hamas official confirmed to the BBC the handover of the brand new physique from Hamas to the Pink Cross had taken place on Friday night.
Israel earlier accused Hamas of breaking the phrases of the ceasefire deal after forensic testing confirmed stays handed over on Thursday weren’t that of Shiri Bibas.
The our bodies of her sons Ariel and Kfir Bibas had been returned to Israel, as was that of one other hostage, Oded Lifschitz.
In a submit on X on Friday, Hamas spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta mentioned Shiri’s stays appeared to have been combined up with different our bodies underneath rubble after the air strike.
Israel has disputed the declare that Ariel and Kfir Bibas had been killed in an airstrike, with Israel Protection Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari telling a press convention “forensic findings”, which haven’t been seen by the BBC, advised the boys had been killed “intentionally”.
He mentioned proof had been shared with Israel’s “companions world wide to allow them to confirm it”.
Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas had been aged 32, 4 and 9 months once they had been kidnapped through the Hamas assaults on Israel on 7 October 2023.
They had been taken hostage together with the youngsters’s father Yarden Bibas, 34, who was launched alive by Hamas on 1 February.
Within the Hamas assaults of seven October, about 1,200 individuals – largely civilians – had been killed and 251 others taken again to Gaza as hostages.
In response, Israel launched a large army marketing campaign in opposition to Hamas which has killed at the least 48,319 Palestinians – primarily civilians – in keeping with the Hamas-run well being ministry.