Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to make Hamas pay after the group failed to return the body of hostage Shiri Bibas as agreed. In a video statement on Friday, Netanyahu condemned Hamas for a "cruel and evil violation" of the deal, pledging to bring all hostages—both living and deceased—home.
The controversy arose after Israeli experts confirmed that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas on Thursday was not Bibas but an unidentified woman. Bibas was abducted with her two sons, Kfir and Ariel, and her husband, Yarden, during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Her children’s bodies were among those returned and identified.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of acting "in an unspeakably cynical manner" by placing a Gaza woman’s body in the coffin instead of Bibas. Hamas has not responded to the allegations, which threaten to destabilize the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered last month with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediation.
It remains unclear if the incident will delay or prevent the scheduled release of six living hostages on Saturday or impact upcoming negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire.
With tensions high, Israel has reiterated its determination to hold Hamas accountable, increasing uncertainty over the truce’s stability and the fate of the remaining hostages.