The Foreign Secretary has called Hamas’s failure to return the right body of an Israeli hostage “sick and abhorrent”.
Hamas turned over the bodies of four hostages on Thursday as part of the ceasefire deal, including that of Shiri Bibas.
Israeli authorities said they had positively identified the bodies of Bibas’s two young sons, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and of Oded Lifshitz, but that the fourth body was found to be an unidentified woman from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire and vowed revenge, while Hamas said it would “conduct a thorough review” of the information regarding the body.
David Lammy said the killing of the two children, which Hamas denies, and the failure to return their mother’s body was “sick”.
“The vile killing of the Bibas children by Hamas terrorists is sick and abhorrent, as is the failure to return the body of their mother Shiri to the grieving family,” the Foreign Secretary posted on X.
“Her body must be returned. The hostages must be released. This nightmare must end.”
Hamas suggested there could have been a mix-up of remains because of Israeli bombing of the area where the Israeli hostages were being held, where other Palestinians were also present.
Shiri Bibas’s family confirmed on Saturday morning that a body handed over to the Red Cross on Friday was hers.
The vile killing of the Bibas children by Hamas terrorists is sick and abhorrent, as is the failure to return the body of their mother Shiri to the grieving family. Her body must be returned. The hostages must be released. This nightmare must end. https://t.co/dScjVpbySh
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 21, 2025
The incident puts a fragile ceasefire on even shakier ground. The deal has paused over 15 months of war but is nearing the end of its first phase.
Hamas said it had fully complied with the ceasefire and had no interest in retaining bodies.
Mr Netanyahu meanwhile said he would “ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement”.
Hamas has claimed Mr Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas and her sons were killed in Israeli air strikes.
But Israel said tests found the two boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors.
