JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised retaliation on Friday, calling the release of an incorrect body by Hamas a “cruel and malicious violation” of their ceasefire agreement. The body was presented as that of an Israeli mother of two, as the militants had previously stated.
This event casts doubt on the continuation of the already fragile ceasefire. The release of six more living hostages is scheduled for Saturday, part of the ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of conflict.
Hamas transferred four bodies on Thursday as part of the agreement. These were supposed to be the remains of Shiri Bibas, her two sons Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was taken during the Hamas attack that initiated the war on October 7, 2023.
Israeli officials have confirmed the identities of the two boys and Lifshitz, but stated that the fourth body was not Shiri Bibas, nor any other Israeli hostage held in Gaza.
“We will act decisively to bring Shiri, and all our hostages both living and deceased, home and ensure Hamas is held accountable for this cruel and malicious breach of the agreement,” Netanyahu stated. “The memory of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas will be forever in our hearts. May God avenge their blood, and so shall we.”
Netanyahu indicated the fourth body belonged to a woman from Gaza. Hamas has not yet commented on Israel’s statement regarding the body’s identity.
The identification of the body introduced a surprising element to the story of the Bibas family, who have become well-known symbols of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Since the ceasefire began in January, Hamas has been releasing living hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody. Thursday’s exchange marked the first instance of the group returning the remains of deceased hostages.
The Israeli army announced on Thursday that the fourth body handed over by Hamas was an “anonymous, unidentified body.” The Bibas family, including Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and father of the two boys, who was also captured but released earlier this month as part of the ceasefire, were notified.
Hamas has claimed that Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, and her sons died in Israeli airstrikes. However, Israel stated that testing revealed the two boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors.
U.S. envoy Adam Boehler described the release of the incorrect body as “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire.
“If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation,” Boehler, the U.S. envoy for hostages, told CNN.
The impact of this incident on the next scheduled exchange of hostages for prisoners, planned for Saturday, is unclear. Hamas has also stated they will release four more bodies next week, completing the initial phase of the ceasefire. The possibility of extending the truce beyond the current phase, which ends in early March, is also uncertain.
Adding to the uncertainty, a series of explosions occurred overnight, damaging three parked, unoccupied buses in central Israel.
No injuries were reported, and no one has claimed responsibility. In response, the Israeli military stated it was reinforcing its forces in the West Bank, increasing the potential for further escalation in the region. Israel has been conducting a large-scale military operation in the occupied territory since the ceasefire began.
If the current phase of the ceasefire proceeds as planned, with the release of six hostages on Saturday and four more bodies next week, Hamas will hold approximately 60 hostages, with about half of them – all men – believed to be alive.
Hamas has stated that it will not release the remaining captives without a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, supported by the Trump administration, maintains his commitment to dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and securing the release of all hostages, objectives that are widely considered incompatible.
Trump’s suggestion to relocate approximately 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to allow the U.S. to own and rebuild it has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab nations, further jeopardizing the ceasefire.
Hamas may be hesitant to release more hostages if they anticipate a resumption of the war.
Israel’s military offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
The offensive has caused widespread destruction in Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At the height of the conflict, 90% of Gaza’s population was displaced. Many have returned to find their homes destroyed and no means of rebuilding.