Israel Receives Bodies of Hostages from Hamas: A Day of Grief and Determination

Hamas hands over the bodies, allegedly of Shiri Bibas and his two sons, Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz, to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip

On a stage set up by Hamas in Khan Younis, terrorists display four coffins, hidden behind a curtain, apparently containing the bodies of slain Israeli hostages. The coffins are labelled with photos and propaganda messages accusing Israel of killing the hostages. Hamas also displays ammunition allegedly used by Israel.

Delivery and Ceremony

Red Cross vehicles arrived on the scene to collect the bodies of Shiri Bibas and his two sons, Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz and take them to IDF troops in Gaza. Before starting the ceremony, the Israeli troops’ bomb disposal squad will make sure they are not a Hamas trap, inspecting the interior for explosives. Then the bodies will be placed in new coffins, draped with Israeli flags, and the IDF Chief Rabbi, Brigadier General Eyal Karim, will conduct the brief religious ceremony. The hostages will then be loaded by Israeli troops onto IDF vehicles and driven to Israel for identification.

Netanyahu’s statements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented that it will be a day of sorrow and called on the world to share the families’ grief. Netanyahu also stressed Israel’s determination to ensure that such events never happen again.

Next Steps

Tomorrow, Hamas will release six live Israeli hostages, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen and Tal Shoham, who were kidnapped on 7 October 2023, and Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed who have been held captive in the Strip for at least a decade.
Hamas has also stated that it is ready to release all other hostages at once during the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel. The first phase has already seen the release of 19 Israeli hostages and more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.

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(Photo: © TOI – Times of Israel)