JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned on Friday (Feb 21) Israel would make Hamas pay for failing to launch the physique of hostage Shiri Bibas as agreed.
“We’ll act with willpower to carry Shiri dwelling together with all our hostages – each dwelling and useless – and guarantee Hamas pays the complete value for this merciless and evil violation of the settlement,” he mentioned in a video assertion.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of appearing “in an unspeakably cynical method” by inserting the physique of a Gaza girl within the coffin as an alternative of Shiri, who was kidnapped alongside along with her two sons and her husband, Yarden, throughout the Hamas assault on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
The Israeli army mentioned on Friday that one of many our bodies launched by Hamas didn’t belong to any of the hostages held in Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating an already shaking ceasefire.
Two of the our bodies have been recognized as toddler Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, whereas a 3rd physique that was presupposed to be their mom, Shiri, was discovered to not match with any hostage and remained unidentified, the army mentioned.
“This can be a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organisation, which is obliged below the settlement to return 4 deceased hostages,” the army mentioned, in an announcement, demanding the return of Shiri and all hostages.
The household of hostage Oded Lifshitz, mentioned in an announcement that his physique had been formally recognized.
There was no speedy response from Hamas.
Netanyahu earlier vowed revenge on Hamas after the group launched the stays of what it mentioned have been 4 hostages, together with that of Kfir and Ariel, the youngest of these kidnapped throughout the Oct 7, 2023, assault.
Palestinian militants handed over 4 black coffins in a fastidiously orchestrated public show as a crowd of Palestinians and dozens of armed Hamas militants watched, making a spectacle which was condemned by United Nations Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres.
The purported stays of the boys, their mom and Lifshitz have been handed over below the Gaza ceasefire settlement reached final month with the backing of the US and the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.
