Israeli officials confirmed Shiri Bibas’ body was correctly repatriated late Friday after Hamas initially provided misidentified remains on Thursday. The Israel Institute of Forensic Medicine verified her identity through DNA analysis, ending a chaotic 48-hour ordeal for her family.
In an emotional statement released Saturday, Bibas’ relatives declared:
Shiri was the heart of our family – a warrior mother, a beacon of love. We now plead: Bring home ALL hostages. Recovery for Israel begins with their freedom.
The tragic update comes amid these critical developments:
- Hamas claims to have surrendered four bodies Thursday, including Bibas and her children
- Israeli forensic teams identified only three: Oded Lifshitz and Bibas’ sons Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months)
- Authorities confirm the fourth body bore no connection to known hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed immediate retaliation during a press conference, stating: This macabre theater underscores Hamas’ moral bankruptcy. We will extract justice house by house, tunnel by tunnel.
Over 240 hostages remain captive in Gaza since Hamas’ October 2023 incursion that killed 1,200 Israelis. The Bibas family’s dual tragedy – the murder of Shiri and prolonged captivity of Yarden Bibas – has become a national symbol of the conflict’s human toll.
Military analysts suggest the body confusion could stall delicate negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Mistakes in repatriation processes erode trust on both sides,explains Tel Aviv University conflict resolution expert Dr. Amir Goldstein. Each misstep risks collapsing entire negotiation frameworks.
