Brigades Al-Qassam, the armed wing of Hamas, handed over the body of Shiri Bibas, an Israeli hostage who died in Gaza, to the International Committee of the Red Cross. This action took place after Israeli authorities confirmed that the body returned last Thursday by Hamas did not belong to Shiri. Confirmed by a senior Israeli official, the remains were handed over to the Red Cross on Friday night, according to reports from the Jerusalem Post. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they have been in contact with the Bibas family.
"One of the bodies delivered was announced by Hamas as that of Shiri Bibas, although it was later confirmed that it was not her, but that of an as-yet unidentified person," the IDF stated in a statement asking for respect for the family's privacy. Meanwhile, the Israeli police received instructions to prepare to escort a convoy to the Forensic Medicine Institute if the coffin arrives, reported Maariv. The Red Cross had notified Israel that Hamas had contacted them to coordinate the handover.
Forensic teams are ready to identify the remains and provide the results as soon as possible, the Ministry of Health reported. It is worth mentioning that last Thursday, armed Palestinian groups delivered the bodies of four deceased hostages in the Gaza Strip, including the children Ariel and Kfir Bibas, aged 5 and 2.
