JERUSALEM — Israel
confirmed early Saturday that Shiri Bibas, who was held captive in Gaza since
October 7, 2023, was murdered by Hamas.
The announcement came after Hamas handed over her body
overnight, which was then identified upon arrival in Israel, local media
reported.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Bibas lived with her family, issued a
statement mourning her death.
"With pain and deep sorrow, Kibbutz Nir Oz announces
the murder of Shiri Bibas, may her memory be a blessing, who was kidnapped from
her home," it said.
Nir Oz was one of the hardest-hit areas during the Hamas-led
attack in southern Israel.
"Today, after 16 unbearable months, this painful circle
has finally been closed for the family, and in the coming days, she will
return, together with her two small sons, to eternal rest in the soil of
Israel," the statement added.
Israeli officials revealed that Bibas was brutally murdered
in November 2023 along with her two children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, who was just
nine months old at the time.
The announcement follows a failed attempt by Hamas to return
Bibas' remains a day earlier when the body delivered was found to belong to a
Palestinian woman instead, reports Times of Israel.
Bibas' death means that three generations of her family were
killed in the Hamas-led massacre. Her parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman were
murdered in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the day of the attack.
Hamas was originally expected to hand over the remains of
Bibas and her sons on Thursday, along with those of fellow hostage Oded
Lifshitz. The remains of Ariel, Kfir, and Lifshitz were later positively
identified, with forensic evidence confirming they were murdered over a year
ago.
The fourth body provided by Hamas was initially claimed to
be Bibas but was later determined to be an unnamed Palestinian woman from Gaza.
Hamas later alleged that a mix-up had occurred due to an
Israeli airstrike. However, Israeli military sources refuted the claim, stating
that the forensic evidence was clear -- Ariel and Kfir were murdered by their
Palestinian captors in November 2023, when Kfir was 10 months old, and Ariel
was 4.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described the brutal
circumstances of their deaths.
"The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys --
they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific
acts to cover up these atrocities," he said on Friday.
The tragic confirmation of Bibas' death closes a painful
chapter for her family and the people of Israel, marking yet another instance
of the brutality inflicted during the October 7 attack.
