Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced Wednesday that Hamas is expected to return the bodies of four deceased hostages. The terror group is expected to hand over the remains without any “ceremonies,” according to the Prime Minister’s office.
Hamas faced widespread condemnation last week after staging a ceremony with the coffins of four dead hostages: Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz. It was later discovered that the coffin intended for Shiri Bibas contained the body of an unidentified Gazan woman. Shiri’s remains were subsequently returned to Israel.
“These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys’ mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement,” Netanyahu stated on Feb. 21.
Top United Nations officials, including the spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, denounced the ceremonies.
U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric informed the press that Secretary-General Guterres found the “parading of bodies and displaying of the coffins of the deceased hostages” to be “abhorrent and appalling.”
In his statement, Türk referenced international legal standards for the return of deceased individuals’ remains but stopped short of explicitly stating that Hamas’s ceremony violated international law.
“We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care,” Türk stated. “Under international law, any handover of the remains of [the] deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”
Many expressed dissatisfaction with the statements from U.N. officials, with some critics accusing the international body of inaction.
“For 16 months, Israel has been fighting a deranged terrorist organization that places no value on human life, especially if it is Israeli or Jewish – all while international institutions like the UN refrained from condemning Hamas and formally demanding the immediate return of our hostages,” Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement to Digital.
While Hamas released a listing the names of hostages whose bodies are expected to be returned later today, Israel has not yet officially verified the identities of the deceased hostages.
Oded Lifshitz, one of the deceased hostages whose remains were returned last week, was buried on Tuesday. His wife, Yocheved, delivered a moving eulogy, vowing to continue fighting for the release of the remaining hostages.
Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were buried together in one casket on Wednesday, according to . Yarden Bibas, who was also taken hostage on Oct. 7 but was later released, eulogized his wife and two young sons. He also apologized for his inability to protect them during Hamas’ brutal attacks.
“Shiri, this is the closest I’ve been to you since October 7th, and I can’t kiss or hug you, and it’s breaking me,” Yarden Bibas said.
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