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Israel accuses Hamas of violating ceasefire after receiving bodies, vows retaliation as negotiations for remaining hostages continue
The Israeli military said on Friday (Feb 21) that one of the bodies returned by Hamas was not a known hostage, accusing Hamas of breaking the ceasefire agreement.
Two of the bodies were identified as baby Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel. The third body, which was expected to be their mother, Shiri, did not match any known hostage. The Israeli military called this a serious violation, demanding the return of Shiri and all remaining hostages. Meanwhile, the family of Oded Lifshitz confirmed that his body had been identified.
Hamas did not respond immediately to the accusations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge on Hamas after the group handed over what it claimed were the remains of four hostages, including Kfir and Ariel, the youngest victims of the October 7, 2023 attack.
Palestinian militants publicly displayed four black coffins as a crowd watched, including Hamas fighters. This act was condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called it “abhorrent and appalling.”
The return of the bodies was part of a ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with U.S. support. Israelis gathered near Gaza to pay respects as the convoy carrying the coffins passed by. In Tel Aviv, people wept in Hostages Square, a site dedicated to those abducted.
President Isaac Herzog expressed deep sorrow, saying, “Agony. Pain. Our hearts are broken.”
After the handover, Netanyahu released a statement promising to destroy Hamas, saying that “the four coffins” made it clearer than ever that Israel must prevent another attack like October 7. He vowed to take action against Hamas.
Israeli officials have repeatedly stated their goal of dismantling Hamas and rescuing the remaining hostages. Around 250 people were kidnapped during the October 2023 attack.
During the handover, a Hamas militant stood next to a poster showing Israeli-flag-draped coffins with the message: “The Return of the War = The Return of your Prisoners in Coffins.”
UN Secretary-General Guterres reminded all parties that international law requires that remains be returned with dignity and respect.
Kfir Bibas was nine months old when he and his family—mother Shiri, father Yarden, and brother Ariel—were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Hamas had claimed in November 2023 that Shiri and the children had died in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel had not confirmed this until now.
“Shiri and the children became symbols,” said Yiftach Cohen, a resident of Nir Oz, where nearly a quarter of the community was either killed or taken hostage on October 7. Yarden Bibas, the father, was freed earlier this month in a prisoner exchange.
Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old former journalist, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. His wife, Yocheved, 85, was taken with him but released two weeks later. Lifshitz had previously written an article in the newspaper Haaretz criticizing Netanyahu’s policies.
This was the first time deceased hostages were returned under the current agreement. Israeli military officials said that Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed in captivity in November 2023 by Hamas. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities stated that Lifshitz was murdered by Islamic Jihad, another militant group in Gaza. A forensic expert later confirmed that Lifshitz had been dead for over a year.
The October 7 attack by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, with 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military response has killed around 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health officials, leaving the region in ruins.
Following the return of the bodies, the ceasefire deal includes the release of six living hostages on Saturday. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian detainees, mainly women and minors, who were arrested during the war.
Talks for the next phase of the deal are expected soon. This stage would involve the return of about 60 remaining hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, possibly bringing an end to the conflict.