Shiri Bibas Body Missing, Hamas Accused
Israel’s military revealed on February 20, 2025, that the Shiri Bibas body was not among four returned from Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal. Forensic tests confirmed three bodies as her sons, Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, and peace activist Oded Lifschitz, 84—all kidnapped alive on October 7, 2023. The fourth, however, was an unidentified Gazan woman, not Shiri, per Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He alleged Hamas staged the handover, vowing to “bring Shiri home” and make the group “pay the full price” for this “cruel” breach.
Hamas claimed Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir died in an Israeli airstrike, with spokesman Ismail al-Thwabta noting on X that her remains may be lost in rubble. The group pledged to Reuters to investigate the mix-up, denying intent to deceive. Israel counters that intelligence and forensics show the boys were “brutally murdered” by captors in November 2023. The IDF demands Shiri’s return—alive or dead—escalating tensions as six living hostages are set for release Saturday.
H3: Ceasefire Deal Tested by Shiri Bibas Body Dispute
The Shiri Bibas body controversy strains the January 19 ceasefire, which promised eight bodies among 33 hostages swapped for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners over six weeks. So far, 28 hostages and over 1,000 prisoners have been exchanged, with 66 from October 7—half believed alive—still held, plus three from over a decade ago. The Bibas family, icons of Israel’s grief, reeled as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum decried the “horrifying” error. Yarden Bibas, freed February 1, awaits his wife’s fate.
The October 7 attack killed 1,200, mostly civilians, and saw 251 abducted, sparking Israel’s campaign that’s claimed 48,297 Palestinian lives, per Gaza’s health ministry. Thursday’s handover—three identified, one a mystery—drew IDF outrage on X as a “severe violation.” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told BBC Radio 4’s Today that Hamas must honor its obligations. For more, see BBC or Kenkou Land.
Main Body: Grief, Anger, and Escalation
The Shiri Bibas body mix-up deepens Israel’s anguish. Shiri, 32 when taken with her toddler and infant, symbolized the crisis—her absence now fuels fury. Netanyahu’s pledge for justice echoes as talks for the ceasefire’s next phase, aiming to free all living hostages and end the war, stall. Hamas insists on commitment, releasing Saturday’s list with two long-held captives, but trust frays. Oded Lifschitz’s death, confirmed Thursday, adds to the toll—his peace legacy cut short at 84.
Meanwhile, violence flares. Three buses exploded in Bat Yam on February 20 in a suspected terror attack—no casualties, but two more devices failed. Netanyahu ordered an IDF “intensive operation” in the West Bank, signaling escalation. The ceasefire, fragile at six weeks, teeters as 66 hostages linger in Gaza. Half may live, but time narrows. Israel’s demand for Shiri—amid forensic clarity on her sons’ murders—underscores a nation’s resolve, shadowed by unrelenting loss.
