The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has accused Hamas of murdering two child hostages while in captivity, disputing claims by the militant group that they were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The statement follows Hamas’ handover of four bodies under the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated on Friday that forensic analysis confirmed Ariel Bibas, 4, and his 10-month-old brother, Kfir, were murdered while held hostage in Gaza. “These two innocent children were taken hostage alive with their mother, Shiri, on October 7,” Hagari said. “Contrary to Hamas’s lies, they were not killed in an airstrike. They were murdered by terrorists in cold blood—killed with their bare hands.”
Hamas had returned four bodies as part of the ceasefire deal, claiming they were those of the Bibas children, their mother, and 83-year-old journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz. However, Israeli authorities said forensic tests revealed that one set of remains did not belong to Shiri Bibas but to an unidentified Palestinian woman.
Hamas has pledged to investigate the mix-up, stating that Bibas’ remains may have been mistakenly combined with those of Palestinians allegedly killed in an Israeli airstrike. Neither side has provided independent evidence to support their claims regarding how the hostages died.
Despite the dispute, both Israel and Hamas reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire agreement. Under the current deal, Hamas announced it would release six living hostages on Saturday. In exchange, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners.
Amid ongoing hostilities, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that a 13-year-old girl was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. The incident occurred as part of a broader Israeli military operation that has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes.
The International Rescue Committee warned of increasing violence in the region, stating that 224 Palestinian children had been killed in the West Bank since January 2023.
Israeli authorities have also detained two suspects in connection with the bombing of several empty buses in Tel Aviv on Thursday night. The explosions, which caused no casualties, are being investigated as a potential militant attack.
As tensions persist, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain, with further hostage exchanges and prisoner releases expected in the coming days.
