Hamas has handed over a body to the Red Cross claiming it belongs to Shiri Bibas, as reported by Israeli media on Friday.
The transfer of the body occurred less than 24 hours after the Israeli military announced that a body they received on Thursday, which Hamas identified as Shiri Bibas, was actually of someone else. Israel was unable to confirm the identity of the body.
Following this, Hamas mentioned the possibility of an error or overlap in the bodies and agreed to investigate the matter.
The bodies of Shiri Bibas’ sons, Ariel and Kfir, were two of the bodies transferred by Hamas to Israel on Thursday. They were the youngest hostages in Gaza and had become symbols of the captives’ plight. The fourth body was identified as Oded Lifshitz, another hostage. The news that Shiri’s body had not been returned added to the shock and anguish in the country during a difficult week.
Now, a Hamas official has confirmed that the body transferred on Friday evening is indeed Shiri Bibas. The Red Cross will hand over the body to the Israeli military for a forensic examination to determine its identity.
Due to the examination taking place on Friday night, coinciding with the start of Shabbat when observant Jews refrain from using electronics, a portion of the population may be unaware of the latest developments.
Yarden Bibas, Shiri Bibas’ husband and the father of the boys, was previously held captive and released earlier this month. Six more hostages are scheduled to be released on Saturday.
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