In a solemn and emotional moment, Hamas returned the bodies of three prominent Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The coffins of the Bibas children, Ariel and Kfir, along with their mother Shiri Bibas, were finally handed over as part of a ceasefire deal.
The two red-headed children, Ariel, four, and Kfir, ten months old, along with their mother Shiri Biba, 32, were kidnapped from their kibbutz home in southern Israel on October 7. Their abduction sparked outrage and sorrow across Israel.
Red Cross vehicles were present at the handover site in Gaza to receive the four coffins, one of which contained the body of Oded Lifschitz. The bodies were transferred from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Hamas had arranged a stage with a banner accusing Israel of killing the hostages with missiles.
The Israeli military rabbinate conducted a brief ceremony at the exchange site, where the remains were placed in caskets adorned with Israeli flags.
The return of these hostages marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The emotional scenes serve as a reminder of the toll that conflicts like these take on innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
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Video “LIVE: Hamas returns first bodies of hostages held in Gaza” was uploaded on 02/20/2025 to Youtube Channel The Times and The Sunday Times