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February 22, 2025 9:27 AM

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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows revenge after Hamas mistakenly releases body of Palestinian woman instead of Israeli hostage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed revenge after Hamas mistakenly released the body of a Palestinian woman instead of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas.

 

 

The mix-up, which Hamas blamed on Israeli bombings, raised concerns about the fragile ceasefire. However, the next planned hostage exchange is still set to proceed today, with Hamas releasing six Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

 

Hamas has agreed to review the situation and insists it is following the ceasefire terms. Hamas also released a body yesterday, it claimed to be that of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, whose misidentification in a handover this week threatened to derail the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal. Israeli medical authorities said the forensic teams were preparing to examine the body, which Hamas transferred via the Red Cross, and confirm its identity.

 

Israel, meanwhile, accused Hamas of violating the agreement. The Bibas family has become a symbol of the Israeli hostages. While Hamas claims Bibas and her children were killed in Israeli airstrikes, Israel says they were killed by their captors.

 

 

Meanwhile, US envoy Adam Boehler condemned the release of the wrong body as a horrific violation of the ceasefire and warned Hamas to release all hostages or face severe consequences. Meanwhile, the ceasefire’s future remains uncertain, especially as Hamas insists it won’t release more hostages without a permanent truce and full Israeli withdrawal.