HAMAS RETURNS FAKE HOSTAGE BODY IN PLACE OF SHIRI BIBAS – Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for replacing Shiri Bibas’ body with an unidentified woman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated today that Israel would make Hamas pay for failing to release the body of hostage Shiri Bibas as agreed.
The statement came after Israeli specialists said that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas terrorists on Thursday, February 20th was an unidentified woman and not Shiri Bibas, whose two sons, Kfir and Ariel were handed over and identified.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of acting “in an unspeakably cynical manner” by placing the body of an unidentified woman in the coffin instead of Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped along with her two sons and her husband, Yarden, during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas has not issued any public comment so far on the Israeli accusation, which threatens to derail the fragile ceasefire agreement reached with U.S. backing and with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators last month.
It is not immediately clear if the current situation would impact the handover of six living hostages due for release on Saturday, February 22, or whether it would interrupt the start of negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire.
