Hamas returns body of mother of red-headed boys; all were killed while held hostage

JERUSALEM (OSV News) -- The body of Shiri Bibas -- the mother of two red-headed boys who became a symbol of Israeli hostage suffering, both confirmed dead -- was eventually returned Feb. 21, with the Bibas family confirming Feb. 22 that it was the body of the boys' mother.

Israel identified three of the four bodies of hostages returned Feb. 20 but said the body of Shiri Bibas was not one of them. She was not returned that day as promised by Hamas, sparking outrage throughout the country.

The Israel National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed the identity of the body of 83-year-old peace activist and great-grandfather Oded Lifshitz shortly after it was brought to the institute, and later confirmed the identity of Ariel and Kfir, who were 4 years and 9 months old, respectively, when taken captive by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, along with their mother, Shiri. Their father, Yarden, was taken separately and was released on Feb. 1 as part of the current ceasefire agreement. The fourth body returned with theirs was that of an unidentified woman.

Lifshitz's wife, Yocheved, was released shortly after her kidnapping in October 2023 along with another elderly hostage. The Lifshitz and Bibas families were taken captive by Hamas from the Nir Oz Kibbutz where more than a quarter of its 400 members were either kidnapped or murdered on Oct. 7.

The video of Shiri Bibas clutching her boys as armed terrorists surrounded her and took her hostage, became one of the best known images of the struggle to free the hostages.

Despite initial fears that the violation would derail the hostage release scheduled for Feb. 22, the Israeli prime minister's office issued a Feb. 21 statement saying it had received the names of the hostages, and the release would continue as agreed upon. One week remained for the first phase of the hostage release; news reports said some questions have been raised about the next phase of the agreement.

The news followed a macabre ceremony Feb. 20 where armed Hamas militants paraded the coffins amid music playing. The coffins were draped in black and decorated with photographs of the dead along with stickers of Hamas propaganda and were shown underneath a large sign depicting the Israeli prime minister as a vampire.

"Yesterday was shocking for everybody," said Father Alberto Pari, secretary of the Custody of the Holy Land and responsible for interfaith relations.

"I don't understand what message Hamas wants to give to the world. If it gained a bit of pity from the world after the images of strong destruction in Gaza, ... now with these images they are really changing completely their reputation and impression of the whole world," the Franciscan friar said.

For the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Hamas' ceremony was "abhorrent."

"The parading of bodies in the manner seen this morning is abhorrent and cruel, and flies in the face of international law," Volker Turk's office said Feb. 20. "We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care."

Hamas released 25 captives, with six Israeli men held hostage in the Gaza Strip freed Feb. 22, as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that began in January.

According to the Israeli press, over 60 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas are still in Gaza, with roughly half of those confirmed dead by the Israeli Defense Forces. Israel agreed to release some 2,000 detained Palestinians, including convicted terrorists, in the course of the ceasefire agreement.

Hamas claims that the Bibas' and Lifshitz were killed in Israeli aerial attacks, but according to Israel forensic testing, they were killed by their Hamas captors. The forensics also showed that "Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood ... with bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Feb. 21.

"There are two options: (the return of the wrong body) was not intentional or it could be a cruel game to create terror and uncertainty. … We are dealing with terrorists, this is the issue," said Father Pari.

"Now we see them (in TV images) in a very tidy way in uniform -- but they are terrorists. We cannot forget that what happened on Oct. 7 was done by these same people," he said.

"I don't think anybody was expecting the macabre theater that was shown yesterday because there was a strong appeal not to make a show of the return of the dead bodies … and everyone was expecting Hamas will deliver (the bodies) in a discreet way," Father Pari said.

He added that it is difficult to answer those who question why God seemingly allows so many children to suffer and die, as it has been this way in all wars.

After World War II, "we were hoping for better humanity," the Franciscan said.

"Humanity needs a lot of compassion, feelings of mutual understanding and love. These are words that are not consoling or give a lot of hope. But believers who believe in the Resurrection will know (those who died) are in a better place. Maybe God wants to avoid endless suffering for them. This is not justifying war, it just gives a different perspective," Father Pari said.

Members of Israel's security services saluted the police-escorted convoy with the coffins as it crossed into Israel after the transfer from the Red Cross to the IDF and dozens of Israelis stood with national flags at intersections along the way as it made its way into Israel.

In the evening thousands of Israelis gathered in what's now called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv and recited traditional mourning prayers in a somber ceremony.

"The hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, apologizing to the families for not bringing their loved ones home alive.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 14 the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem spoke strongly against the "grave threat" of mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as "an injustice that strikes at the very heart of human dignity" after President Donald Trump's Feb. 5 proposal that the United States "take over' the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its Palestinian residents.

"The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity," the patriarchs wrote.

"As Christians, we cannot be indifferent to such suffering, for the Gospel commands us to uphold the dignity of every human being."