Hamas hands over bodies of Israeli hostage mother and infants

GAZA,— Islamist group Hamas on Thursday handed over the bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother, Ariel, the youngest hostages taken in the group’s October 7, 2023, attack. Their deaths have become a symbol of the violence that day.

The International Committee of the Red Cross transported four black coffins from Gaza, each bearing a photo of the deceased.

Along with the Bibas brothers, Hamas also returned the bodies of their mother, Shiri Bibas, and another hostage, Oded Lifschitz. The exchange was part of a ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. backing.

“This is a painful and somber day for Israel,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In Khan Younis, armed Hamas militants patrolled the area before the handover. A poster nearby showed a man with tree roots instead of legs standing over coffins draped in Israeli flags, with the words: “The Return of the War = The Return of Your Prisoners in Coffins.”

Kfir Bibas was nine months old when Hamas fighters stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, abducting his family, including his father, Yarden Bibas.

In November 2023, Hamas claimed an Israeli airstrike had killed the boys and their mother, but Israeli authorities never confirmed it. Some still held out hope they were alive.

“Shiri and her children became symbols of the tragedy,” said Yiftach Cohen, a resident of Nir Oz. “I continued to hold on to the hope that they were still alive.”

Yarden Bibas was released earlier this month in a hostage-prisoner exchange. His family said they would not have closure until they received definitive proof of what happened to his wife and children.

Following the handover, Israeli military personnel placed the remains in Israeli flag-draped coffins. The bodies were taken to Israel’s forensic institute for identification, a process that could take days.

Only after DNA confirmation will their deaths be formally announced, followed by funerals.

This is the first time Hamas has returned bodies under the ceasefire agreement, and Israel has yet to confirm their identities.

Despite accusations of ceasefire violations, the fragile truce, in place since January 19, has led to multiple hostage-prisoner exchanges. Netanyahu has faced criticism from far-right coalition members for the deal, though polls show strong public support for continued negotiations.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza against the radical Islamist group Hamas after the October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The war has since killed approximately 15,000 jihadi Hamas militants in Gaza, according to Israel.

Hamas is expected to release six more living hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Arab prisoners from Gaza and the West Bank, mostly women and minors.

As of now, 19 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals have been released. Talks are expected to resume on a second phase, which could involve releasing about 60 more hostages and a possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Future negotiations remain uncertain, with key disputes over Gaza’s governance. Israel has rejected both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority as potential rulers.

The situation is further complicated by a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Gazans outside Gaza and redevelop the strip under U.S. control.

(With files from Reuters)