Israel Grapples with Profound Sorrow as Hamas Returns Deceased Captives
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, expressed the country's deep sorrow as the bodies of four kidnapped victims, taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack, were brought back to Tel Aviv. Hamas identified the victims as a mother and her two children from the Bibas family, and an 84-year-old peace activist named Oded Lifschitz, whose identities were later confirmed by Israel.
In an emotional social media post, President Herzog expressed remorse for failing to bring the four victims home safely. This marked the first instance of Hamas returning deceased captives since the ceasefire was implemented a month ago.
Following the return of the victims, a large gathering of Israelis congregated at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, observing a minute of silence. The return of six more live captives is anticipated this Saturday.
News of the deaths of Shiri Bibas, 33, and her sons, now aged five and two, sparked widespread grief across the country. Despite Hamas's claims that they were killed in an Israeli air strike in November 2023, the Israeli government never confirmed this.
In a video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the country's collective grief and anger towards Hamas. A representative for Oded Lifschitz's UK-based daughter referred to the day as one of immense sadness and failure.
Early on Thursday, in a scene reminiscent of previous live hostage handovers, four black coffins were presented on a stage in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in front of a large crowd. The event was marked by propaganda, including a macabre image of Benjamin Netanyahu.
One onlooker expressed her disagreement with the return of the bodies, noting that many families were still searching for their loved ones among the rubble. Before the coffins were transferred to Red Cross vehicles, a representative of the organisation was seen signing documents alongside armed Hamas fighters.
United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk decried the handover, describing it as cruel and in violation of international law. He urged for future returns to be conducted privately and respectfully. The International Committee of the Red Cross echoed these sentiments.
After the handover, the bodies were handed over to Israeli forces in Gaza and transported to Israel. The streets were lined with citizens waving Israeli and yellow flags, symbolizing the hostages, as a police convoy carrying the coffins passed. The bodies are currently at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Jaffa, Israel, for post-mortem examinations.
The Bibas family, along with Oded Lifschitz and his wife, were among those captured when hundreds of Hamas gunmen invaded and attacked Israeli communities. In response to the attack, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza, Israel initiated a significant military campaign against Hamas, causing at least 48,297 Palestinian deaths according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
As part of a hostage-prisoner exchange, Yarden Bibas, 35, and two other hostages were released on February 1. Oded Lifschitz, a former journalist, was held by the armed Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, and his wife Yocheved was released by Hamas on October 23, 2023.
The return of the bodies of the deceased hostages was concluded as part of the ceasefire agreement implemented on January 19. Both parties agreed to swap 33 hostages for roughly 1,900 prisoners within the first six weeks of the ceasefire.
Negotiations for the next phase of the agreement, which would see the remaining live hostages released and the war ended permanently, were scheduled to begin earlier this month but have not yet started. So far, 28 hostages and over 1,000 prisoners have been exchanged. Of the 66 hostages taken on October 7, who are still in Gaza, and another three taken more than a decade ago, approximately half are believed to be alive.