Three Bodies Of Israeli Hostages Confirmed, IDF Claims Last Body Not Shiri Bibas

Repatriation of the bodies of Israeli hostages. (Source: IDF)

JAKARTA - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) notified Bibas' family that Ariel's and Kfir Bibas' bodies had been identified after their bodies were handed over to Israel by Hamas on Thursday.

However, the third body at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute was not the body of their mother, Shiri Bibas, the IDF said, quoted from The Times of Israel February 21.

Specialists at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute were unable to identify the body. The IDF said the body did not match any male or female hostages.

"This is an identified anonymous body," said the IDF.

Authorities, using forensic and intelligence evidence, said Kfir and Ariel were " brutally killed" by terrorists in November 2023, the IDF said.

Ariel is known to be 4 years old and Khir was 10 months old when they were killed.

"This is a very serious violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which was required by the agreement to repatriate the four dead hostages," the IDF said.

"We demand Hamas to repatriate Shiri, along with all of our hostages," he continued.

"We are deeply sorry for the Bibas family during this difficult time and will continue to do our best to repatriate Shiri and all the hostages as soon as possible," said the IDF.

Previously, Shiri along with Kfir and Ariel, as well as another hostage named Oded Lifshitz were confirmed to be the hostages who would be repatriated by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday, as part of a ceasefire with Israel.

The family confirmed that one of the bodies undergoing identification after being repatriated by Israel was the body of Oded Lifshitz (83).

"We welcome sadly official and bitter news about the identification of our beloved Oded's body," the Lifshitz family said in a statement published by the Hostage Forum and the Missing Family.