Netanyahu Condemns Hamas for ‘Cruel’ Ceasefire Breach After Wrong Body Returned

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has severely condemned Hamas for what he termed a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement. His statement followed Hamas’ return of a body as part of a hostage swap, which was anticipated to be that of an Israeli woman but was discovered to be another person.

The progress has raised question marks on the shaky ceasefire, with six additional hostages due for release on Saturday. The ceasefire has briefly stopped more than 15 months of fighting.

Body Misidentification Sparks Outrage

Hamas on Thursday delivered four bodies, who were meant to be Shiri Bibas, her two young sons—Kfir and Ariel Bibas—and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Israeli officials, however, later identified that though the remains of the two boys and Lifshitz were confirmed, the fourth was neither that of Shiri Bibas nor any other Israeli hostage.

We will struggle with determination to return Shiri home along with all our captives—dead and alive—and make Hamas pay the full cost for this vile and wicked breaking of the covenant,” Netanyahu declared. “The holy memory of Oded Lifshitz and Ariel and Kfir Bibas will be forever in the nation’s heart. May God punish their blood. And so shall we punish.

The Israeli defense forces later verified that the fourth corpse was a Gaza woman. Hamas has not responded to Israel’s declaration yet.

Hostage Exchanges and the Future of the Ceasefire

The Bibas family’s nightmare has attracted worldwide attention, with the mother and her two children becoming icons of the Israeli hostages’ plight. The ceasefire, which started in January, has witnessed Hamas freeing hostages in return for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Thursday’s release was the first time Hamas handed over the bodies of dead captives.

An Israeli military statement described the unidentified remains as an “anonymous, unidentified body.” The Bibas family was informed, including Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, who was taken hostage separately and was freed earlier this month.

Hamas has claimed that Lifshitz, along with Shiri Bibas and her sons, were killed in Israeli airstrikes. However, Israel maintains that forensic tests show the boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors.

US diplomat Adam Boehler denounced the erroneous body handover as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, which he described as “horrific.” He further stated, “If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation.”

Ceasefire Faces Growing Challenges

It is unclear how this event will affect the next scheduled hostage-prisoner exchange on Saturday. Hamas has also vowed to return four more bodies next week, marking the end of the first phase of the truce. There is no indication, however, if the ceasefire will be extended beyond early March.

Meanwhile, tensions mounted even higher after a series of blasts rocked three uninhabited buses in central Israel during the overnight hours. No one was hurt, and no group has issued a claim, but the Israeli military reacted by deploying more soldiers to the West Bank, which raised fears of renewed conflict.

If the ceasefire goes ahead as scheduled, Hamas will retain about 60 hostages, half of whom—mostly men—are thought to be alive. Hamas said it will not free additional captives without an unconditional ceasefire and total Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, supported by the Trump administration, has demanded that his aim is the complete destruction of Hamas’ military and governing apparatus and the freeing of all hostages—objectives widely regarded as incompatible.

Adding to the intrigue, Trump’s suggestion that America move approximately 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza so the US could take charge and rebuild is adding to negotiation complexities. Whereas Netanyahu has taken the suggestion graciously, both Palestinians and Arab countries have opposed it.

War’s Devastating Toll

Hamas may be reluctant to continue to release hostages if they think hostilities will continue. The Israeli military campaign has already claimed more than 48,000 Palestinian lives, the majority of them women and children, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 Hamas militants but has presented no proof.

The conflict destroyed a large majority of Gaza and displaced 90% of the population. Some returning residents reported their homes reduced to rubble with no prospects of rebuilding in sight due to the continued crisis.