Just what happened to Shiri Bibas and her two children after they were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, has become a source of torment for their family and millions of Israelis.

The youngest of the hostages, Kfir Bibas, was 9 months old when he was kidnapped along with his brother Ariel, 4, and mother Shiri Silberman Bibas, 32. Hamas also returned the body of one of the oldest hostages, Oded Lifshitz, 85. All were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023.

DNA testing had found that remains returned a day earlier purportedly of Ms. Bibas, a dead Israeli hostage, were in fact not hers, stirring outrage in Israel.

Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday the remains of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas appear to have been mixed with other human remains from the rubble after an Israeli air strike hit the place she was held in.

Hamas freed five hostages and was set to release one more from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, after Israel confirmed that a body handed over hours earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, February 16, 2025. Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday Israel would make Hamas pay for failing to release the body of hostage Shiri Bibas as agreed.