Israel is bracing for another tense hostage exchange this weekend as allegations that two child hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas spark outrage. The Israeli military has accused Hamas of using its bare hands to kill Ariel Bibas, four, and his 10-month-old brother Kfir when they were seized in October 2023.
The IDF said the boys’ father, Yarden Bibas, saw the gruesome scene with his own eyes during an emotional video address. The military also claims that DNA testing showed the body of the woman released by Hamas was not Shiri Bibas or any other hostage.
Hamas denies responsibility for the deaths and claims the body was “mistakenly mixed” with others killed in Gaza. The group is demanding the return of the body, but relatives of the family have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning them.
The fragile ceasefire agreement, which went into effect on January 19, has been disrupted by the crisis. The truce is set to be tested as Israel’s military ramps up operations in the occupied West Bank amid a surge in bus explosions near Tel Aviv.
Hamas has released the names of six living hostages it plans to release over the weekend under the terms of the ceasefire. The Palestinian prisoners media office said that more than 600 Palestinian prisoners are also set to be freed, but tensions remain high as Israel and Hamas negotiate the fate of the Bibas family and other hostages.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/21/israel-hamas-exchange-to-go-ahead-amid-bibas-family-outrage