Objections To Relatives Announced As Victims Of Death, Israeli Hostage Family: We Disagree

Ofri Bibas Levy. (Source: Paulina Patimer/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

JAKARTA - The Israeli hostages' family objected to the name of their relatives being announced as victims of death, saying they did not approve of the announcement.

Shiri Bibas' sister-in-law denied that the family agreed with the statement from the Prime Minister's Office confirming Shiri and her two children as part of the list of Hamas hostages to be returned today.

"The list that has declared Ariel and Kfir the dead victims, published by the Prime Minister's Office, which should have been approved by the family, has never been approved by us," wrote Ofri Bibas, sister of Shiri's husband, Yarden, on Facebook, quoted from The Times of Israel February 20.

In a previous statement, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Benjamin Netanyahu said the family had approved the mention of the names.

"For 16 months, we have been waiting for confirmation they can't give it to us, and now the decision was taken even before they arrived here? Before they got identification? Before we were officially notified?" he criticized.

"The whole country has turned into victim officers, who knocked on our door," he said.

"Embarrassing," said Ofri.

As previously reported, Israel has confirmed that it has received the names of the four hostages who will be repatriated from the Gaza Strip this Thursday.

PMO Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement on Wednesday, without naming, but the family has been notified.

Later, PMO announced the names of the four hostages who will be repatriated today, namely Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfri Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. The family is said to have been notified.

It is known that the four bodies will be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic agency for identification. Only after that the details will be released to the public.

Kfir and Ariel Bibas were nine months and four years old when they were kidnapped in the Palestinian militant group attack in October 2023.

Israel has not confirmed their death and has not commented on Hamas' announcement.

Hamas claimed in November 2023, Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed with their mother in Israeli airstrikes, and released a video of their father Yarden, who was also held hostage, in which he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their death.

An Israeli military spokesman at the time called the video a "psychological terror", but the military had informed their relatives may not be alive, according to a spokesman for the Hostage Forum and the Missing Family.

Hamas later released Yarden Bibas, alive, on February 1.