Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Friday that Hamas would face consequences for failing to return the body of hostage Shiri Bibas, as previously agreed—a move that threatens the fragile month-old ceasefire in Gaza.
According to Israeli experts, one of the four bodies transferred by Hamas on Thursday belonged to an unidentified woman, not Bibas. Netanyahu condemned Hamas' actions as "unspeakably cynical," accusing the group of substituting Bibas' remains with those of a Gaza woman. Bibas was abducted on October 7, 2023, along with her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel, and her husband, Yarden. The bodies of Kfir and Ariel were among those returned and confirmed.
"We will take decisive action to bring Shiri home, along with all our hostages—both the living and the dead—and ensure Hamas pays a heavy price for this cruel betrayal," Netanyahu declared in a video message.
Meanwhile, Hamas official Ismail Al-Thawabta claimed that Bibas’ remains were mixed with other human remains after being buried under rubble from an Israeli airstrike. He accused Netanyahu of directly ordering the attack that killed her and her children. Hamas previously stated in November 2023 that the Bibas family had died in an Israeli strike, while the Israeli military countered that forensic examinations suggested the children were deliberately killed by their captors.
While Netanyahu did not specify Israel’s next steps, the incident highlights the ceasefire’s instability. On Saturday, six living hostages are set for release, and negotiations for a second phase of the truce are expected to begin soon. However, as tensions rise, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to escalate operations in the occupied West Bank following explosions at empty buses near Tel Aviv. Though no casualties were reported, the attacks served as a stark reminder of the deadly suicide bombings during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.
CEASEFIRE UNDER STRAIN
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, with Hamas threatening to delay hostage releases over claims that Israel has blocked the entry of housing materials and aid into Gaza—an allegation Israel denies.
The failure to return Shiri Bibas' body and the public display of the four coffins on Thursday triggered outrage in Israel, adding pressure on Netanyahu from hardliners demanding a response.
"It's as if they're mocking us," said 75-year-old Ilana Caspi. "We are grieving, and then they hit us again and again. It’s unbearable."
Israel Hayom reported that Israeli negotiators were considering extending the 42-day ceasefire rather than moving directly to a second phase, which would involve more complex negotiations over the war’s end and Hamas’ future in Gaza.
The Red Cross voiced concern over how the bodies were handed over, criticizing the lack of privacy and dignity in the process.
A key group representing hostage families described the situation as "horrifying and devastating" but urged the ceasefire to continue to ensure the safe return of the 70 remaining hostages.
"Save them from this nightmare," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum pleaded in a statement.