Hamas Says It Is Investigating Possible Error Over Hostage Body

Israeli PM Threatens Retaliation for Wrong Release, Calling It a Ceasefire Violation

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JERUSALEM/CAIRO - Hamas said on Feb 21 that it was investigating a possible error in identifying human remains handed to Israel under a ceasefire deal, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened retaliation for its failure to release the body of hostage Shiri Bibas.

Hamas was to hand over the bodies of Ms. Bibas and her two sons, Kfir and Ariel, on Feb 20, along with the remains of a fourth hostage, under the ceasefire deal that has halted fighting in Gaza since January.

Four bodies were delivered, and the identities of the Bibas boys and the fourth hostage, Mr. Oded Lifshitz, were confirmed.

But Israeli specialists said the remaining body was that of an unidentified woman and not Ms. Bibas, who was abducted with her sons and husband during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

Mr. Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said "unfortunate mistakes" could occur, especially as Israeli bombing had mingled the bodies of Israeli hostages and Palestinians, thousands of whom were still buried in the rubble.

"We confirm that it is not in our values or our interest to keep any bodies or not to abide by the covenants and agreements that we sign," he said in a statement.

Hamas said separately that it would investigate the Israeli assertions and announce the results.

The failure to hand over the body, as well as the staged public handover of the four coffins on Feb 20, caused outrage in Israel and drew a threat of retaliation from Mr. Netanyahu.