Fury in Israel: Netanyahu Vows Retaliation After Hamas Returns Wrong Body

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Friday that Israel will make Hamas suffer for not releasing Shiri Bibi’s body as agreed.

In a video, he stated: “We will act determinedly to bring Shiri back home with all of our hostages – both alive and dead – and ensure Hamas pays the full price for the cruel and evil violations of the agreement.”

Israeli specialists had said that the Hamas body handed over on Thursday was not Shiri Bibi, but an unidentified female. Her two sons Kfir and Ariel, who were identified, were also handed over.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of acting “in an unspeakably cynical manner” by placing the body of a Gaza woman in the coffin instead of Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped along with her two sons and her husband, Yarden, during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Hamas has yet to comment publicly on Israel’s accusation. This could derail the fragile ceasefire accord reached last month with U.S. support and the help of Egyptian, and Qatari mediators.

It was not clear immediately whether the decision would prevent or delay the release of six hostages who were due to be released on Saturday or if it would disrupt the negotiations for the second phase of the truce, which is expected in the next few days.