The world is furious: Hamas returns murdered Bibas children but not their mother

Hamas has sparked global condemnation after returning the bodies of two young Israeli-German children but providing a false body in place of their mother, Shiri Bibas. German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert called Hamas "merciless terrorists" in a scathing response to the development.

"What happened to Shiri? Beyond everything else, Hamas has proven themselves to be cruel liars," Seibert said in response to the revelation. He shared a photo of the Bibas family from Nir Oz on X, writing, "The unthinkable has now been confirmed. Ariel and Kfir Bibas, two young German citizens taken by merciless terrorists, were murdered in captivity. Let us remember them as they were - alive, young, radiant and full of promise."

The deception has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. officials. Trump administration hostage envoy Adam Boehler called Hamas's actions "shocking and a violation of the agreement," warning that the group would "face total destruction" if they failed to release all remaining hostages.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized American intolerance for such actions, stating, "Hamas is pure evil and must be destroyed. There can be no peace while Hamas remains in Gaza - they will continue to attack Israel, prompting Israeli responses. If such a group were operating from Canada or Mexico, firing rockets and kidnapping American families, we would eliminate them."

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola expressed horror at Hamas's "grotesque spectacle," which included parading coffins containing "two infants and an 85-year-old peace activist who were killed after being brutally dragged from their homes."

Forensic Investigation Reveals Deception

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that while the bodies of Ariel and Kfir Bibas were identified at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the third body provided - claimed by Hamas to be Shiri Bibas - was actually that of a Gaza woman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the development this morning: "Not only did they kidnap father Yarden Bibas, mother Shiri, and their two infant children, but in an act of unconscionable cynicism, they failed to return Shiri alongside her little ones, these innocent angels, instead placing a Gazan woman's body in the coffin."

Netanyahu vowed consequences for this breach: "We will act decisively to bring Shiri home along with all our hostages - both living and deceased - and ensure Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement."

Military intelligence and forensic evidence revealed that Ariel and Kfir were murdered in captivity in November 2023, approximately one month after their kidnapping. The IDF stated they have conclusive forensic and intelligence evidence of their murder, countering Hamas claims that the children died in an airstrike.

The case of the Bibas family has become a symbol of the ongoing hostage crisis, with the fate of Shiri Bibas still unknown after the return of their murdered children's remains.