Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades has reportedly handed over a body that is now claimed to be that of Shiri Bibas hy”d, who was abducted alongside her two young children, Ariel hy”d (4) and Kfir hy”d (nearly 1), during Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel.

This development comes after Thursday’s horrifying debacle, when the body initially transferred by Hamas was found to belong to neither Shiri nor any other known hostage, triggering international condemnation and adding to the unimaginable anguish of the Bibas family.

Israeli officials confirmed that the Red Cross was called by Hamas on Friday evening to collect the remains—ostensibly that of Shiri Bibas. The IDF are now preparing to conduct DNA and forensic testing to confirm the identity of the remains, with authorities stressing the utmost caution in handling the case.

“We are in close contact with the Bibas family and emphasize their request for responsibility and restraint in reporting, so as not to harm the ongoing efforts,” the IDF stated. The Israel Police have already begun preparing to escort the remains to the Forensic Medicine Institute for examination.

On Thursday, Hamas claimed to have released the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas alongside the remains of other hostages, only for Israeli forensic teams to determine that one of the bodies did not match any known hostage. Instead, the corpse was found to be an unidentified individual, leading to speculation that Hamas had either made an egregious error or deliberately engaged in psychological warfare.

Following the revelation, Hamas attempted to deflect responsibility, claiming that an “error or mix-up” may have occurred due to Israeli airstrikes. The terror group later announced it would conduct its own investigation into the matter—a move widely dismissed by Israeli officials and international observers as yet another attempt to evade accountability.

Now, as Israel awaits final forensic confirmation, the Bibas family and the entire nation hold their breath, hoping for clarity after months of unimaginable agony. The question remains: Is this truly Shiri Bibas’s body, or is Hamas once again manipulating the truth?

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)