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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the identification of the remains of two young Israeli hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, whose bodies were returned from Hamas captivity on Thursday.
The forensic findings have determined that the two boys, aged 10 months and four years at the time of their deaths, were brutally murdered in Gaza in November 2023—just a month after their abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The confirmation, announced early Friday morning, refutes Hamas’ previous claims that the children had been killed by Israeli airstrikes. Instead, intelligence reports and forensic evidence suggest they were deliberately murdered by their captors.
The Bibas children, along with their parents, Shiri and Yarden, were among the more than 240 hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
Yarden Bibas was later released as part of a hostage return deal on February 1, 2025, but Shiri and the children remained in captivity until now.
Discrepancy in Returned Remains
While Hamas had agreed to return the bodies of Kfir, Ariel, and their mother, Shiri Bibas, only the remains of the children were positively identified.
The body initially provided as that of Shiri Bibas was found to belong to an unidentified woman, according to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The forensic team conducted DNA testing, which ruled out any connection between the returned body and the missing Israeli hostages.
The misidentification of remains has sparked outrage in Israel, with officials accusing Hamas of violating the terms of the hostage return agreement.
The body was reportedly delivered in a locked coffin with keys that did not match, further raising suspicions about the circumstances surrounding its transfer.
The IDF also identified the remains of Oded Lifshitz, an elderly Israeli hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who was among the four deceased hostages repatriated on Thursday.
Official Reactions and Condemnation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Hamas for what he called “unspeakable cruelty.”
“The State of Israel bows its head to two small children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and to Oded Lifshitz, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz. All three were murdered with terrible cruelty in Hamas captivity in the first weeks of the war,” Netanyahu stated on Friday.
Referring to the mistaken return of Shiri Bibas’ body, he added: “Not only did they kidnap the father, Yarden Bibas, the young mother, Shiri, and their two small babies, but in an unspeakably evil manner, they did not return Shiri to her little children. Instead, they placed the body of a Gazan woman in a coffin.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations also denounced Hamas’ actions, calling it “a new low” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ongoing Efforts to Recover Hostages
With the confirmation of the Bibas children’s deaths, Israel has renewed its commitment to securing the return of all hostages, both living and deceased.
Officials have vowed to hold Hamas accountable for its violations of the ceasefire-hostage agreement and to continue efforts to bring home those still missing.
The tragic revelation surrounding the fate of Kfir and Ariel Bibas has intensified calls for further international action against Hamas, as Israel continues negotiations and military operations aimed at recovering the remaining captives.