The Government of Israel confirmed that Hamas will deliver the bodies of four deceased hostages in the Gaza Strip this Thursday, including the bodies of children Ariel and Kfir Bibas, aged 5 and 2, along with their mother, Shiri Bibas. Additionally, it was confirmed that the fourth body delivered will be that of Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old Israeli kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz. According to the Islamist organization, the hostages died after Israeli airstrikes on their detention locations, something that Israel has not confirmed.
As part of an agreement, the releases planned in the first phase will conclude on February 27, with the delivery of more hostages and bodies of the deceased. In reactions to these events, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his grief and described the militants of the Islamist group as "monsters".
The children's father, Yarden Bibas, was among those released in a prisoner exchange on February 1. For her part, Lifshitz's wife, Yocheved, had been released in November 2023 during a truce in the war in which 105 hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Since the ceasefire on January 19, 24 hostages have been released, including five Thais.
In a video statement, Netanyahu expressed: "The heart of the whole nation is torn. My own heart is torn." The process of delivering bodies and hostages continues as part of the agreements negotiated between the involved parties.
