Bodies of hostages released by Hamas

Hamas returned what it said were the remains of four Israeli hostages, including the youngest of those abducted from Israel on the October 7th 2023 attack, Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters reported on February 20th.

The bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas, nine-months-old, his brother Ariel who was four-years-old as well as 85-year-old, Oded Lifschitz, all from the Nir Oz kibbutz, were released. A fourth body was also released, who was believed to be the mother of the two boys, Shiri Bibas.

But following a forensic analysis, it was found that what was originally identified as their mother, Shiri Bibas, was in fact not the mother of the two boys, nor a hostage, ABC reported. The body of Bibas was later returned on the evening of February 21st.

Armed Hamas militants put four coffins on a stage in Khan Younis as part of a public display for the four bodies released on February 20th, before handing them to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC, which is strictly bound to impartiality, released a remarkable statement after the bodies arrived in Israel, saying the handover should not have been public.

“These operations should be done privately out of the utmost respect for the deceased and for those left grieving. We have been unequivocal: every release – whether of the living or the deceased – must be conducted with dignity and privacy,” the organisation said.

The United Nations also criticised the staging of the event as “abhorrent and cruel” and it said “flies in the face of international law”.

The Israeli army held a ceremony attended by a rabbi before the bodies were transferred to caskets with the Israeli flag draped over them.

“Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. “On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”

A video of the kidnapping of Bibas and her children became symbols of the ruthlessness of the October 7th attack. Shiri was shown frightened holding her children in her arms.

Lifshitz has had his remains formally identified, his family said. Lifshitz, was a veteran journalist and long-serving advocate of Palestinian rights.

Approximately 48, 000 people have been killed in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, causing an overwhelming humanitarian crisis and leveling a large portion of the territory to rubble.

Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters, The Guardian, The Jewish Chronicle, ABC News, BBC, NBC, AP