Bodies of Israeli Hostages, Including Mother and Two Children, Returned From Gaza

The remains of Shiri Bibas, her two young sons, and peace activist Oded Lifshitz were handed over by Hamas, marking a somber moment for Israel.

The bodies of Shiri Bibas, her sons Ariel (4 years old) and Kfir (9 months old), and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz were returned to Israel after over 500 days in Hamas captivity.
Hamas handed over the coffins in a staged ceremony in Gaza, which included provocative imagery accusing Israel of responsibility for their deaths without Israeli confirmation of the circumstances.
The Bibas family, with their distinctive red hair, had become a symbol of Israel's hostage crisis, with widespread hope for their survival extinguished upon this return.
The handover occurred under a fragile ceasefire agreement, with six living hostages expected to be released on Saturday and negotiations ongoing for the remaining 60 hostages, half of whom are believed to be dead.
The return of the bodies has deepened national grief and sparked reflection on the government’s handling of the hostage crisis, with public mourning events held across the country.