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Opening summary
This is our live coverage of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has alleged that Hamas has committed a “very serious violation” concerning the hostages’ return, noting that the remains of Shiri Bibas were not included in the bodies received during the latest handover on Thursday.
The IDF stated: “During the identification process, it was revealed that the additional body received was not that of Shiri Bibas, and no other abductee matched the profile.” The military confirmed the identification of her children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were aged four years and nine months, respectively.
The IDF has called for the return of Shiri Bibas’s body alongside all remaining hostages but has not indicated any specific timeline for this demand.
The family of Bibas has become emblematic of the tragic events following the Hamas attacks that occurred on October 7, 2023. Shiri’s parents were victims in the offensive, and her husband, Yarden, was captured but has since been released.
In response to escalating violence, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered an increase in military operations across the occupied West Bank. This directive follows a series of bomb blasts targeting buses in central Israel on Thursday.
Katz remarked, “Considering the serious attempted attacks in the Gush Dan [central] area by Palestinian terrorist groups against Israeli civilians, I have directed the IDF to enhance its efforts to counter terrorism, particularly in the Tulkarem refugee camp and all refugee camps in Judea and Samaria.” This statement employs the biblical terminology for the West Bank. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of injuries from the blasts.
More details to follow.
The Israeli military has accused Hamas of murdering the Bibas children during their captivity in Gaza.
Earlier, the IDF confirmed that Ariel and Kfir Bibas were identified after their remains were released by Hamas as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
At the time of their abduction, the boys were just four years and nine months old. Hamas claims they died as a result of an Israeli airstrike.
The IDF articulated on X today:
According to the assessments made by our professional officials, based on available intelligence and forensic results from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists while in captivity in November 2023.
Updated at 01.13 CET
Source
www.theguardian.com