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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
Outside the box.
Israeli Military Confirms Non-Identification of Shiri Bibas Among Returned Hostages
Hamas accused of violating a fragile ceasefire as Israel identifies bodies returned in hostage negotiations.
The Israeli military announced that one of the four bodies returned by Hamas on Thursday is not that of Shiri Bibas, which it described as a "violation of utmost severity" of an already fragile ceasefire agreement.
In an early Friday statement, military officials confirmed that two of the returned bodies were identified as belonging to Bibas' children, Ariel and Kfir.
It was noted that during the identification process, the additional body received was confirmed to be anonymous and did not match anyone on the list of known hostages.
The Israeli military has demanded the return of Shiri Bibas along with all other hostages.
According to Hamas, Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the early days of the ongoing conflict, which escalated following the attack on October 7, 2023.
In related developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an "intense operation" against alleged terrorist infrastructure in the occupied West Bank following explosions on three parked buses in Bat Yam, a city located near Tel Aviv.
Authorities reported that no injuries occurred during the suspected terrorist attack.
Police spokesperson Asi Aharoni confirmed that explosives were found on two other buses, which did not detonate.
The five bombs discovered were uniform in design and equipped with timers, leading bomb squads to engage in diffusing the unexploded devices.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombings.
Since October 2023, Israel has intensified military operations within the occupied West Bank, resulting in numerous Palestinian fatalities.
The United Nations reported that at least 51 Palestinians, including seven children, have died in a military crackdown that began on January 21.
The handover of bodies is expected to precede the return of six living hostages on Saturday, as part of an exchange involving hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, who are anticipated to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Negotiations for a second phase of the hostage release, involving about 60 remaining hostages—of whom less than half are believed to be alive—and a potential full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza to facilitate an end to the conflict, are set to commence in the coming days.
In an early Friday statement, military officials confirmed that two of the returned bodies were identified as belonging to Bibas' children, Ariel and Kfir.
It was noted that during the identification process, the additional body received was confirmed to be anonymous and did not match anyone on the list of known hostages.
The Israeli military has demanded the return of Shiri Bibas along with all other hostages.
According to Hamas, Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the early days of the ongoing conflict, which escalated following the attack on October 7, 2023.
In related developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an "intense operation" against alleged terrorist infrastructure in the occupied West Bank following explosions on three parked buses in Bat Yam, a city located near Tel Aviv.
Authorities reported that no injuries occurred during the suspected terrorist attack.
Police spokesperson Asi Aharoni confirmed that explosives were found on two other buses, which did not detonate.
The five bombs discovered were uniform in design and equipped with timers, leading bomb squads to engage in diffusing the unexploded devices.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombings.
Since October 2023, Israel has intensified military operations within the occupied West Bank, resulting in numerous Palestinian fatalities.
The United Nations reported that at least 51 Palestinians, including seven children, have died in a military crackdown that began on January 21.
The handover of bodies is expected to precede the return of six living hostages on Saturday, as part of an exchange involving hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, who are anticipated to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Negotiations for a second phase of the hostage release, involving about 60 remaining hostages—of whom less than half are believed to be alive—and a potential full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza to facilitate an end to the conflict, are set to commence in the coming days.
