Israel says it knew Bibas family was dead despite claiming they might be alive

The Israeli military acknowledged on Friday that, despite previously insisting the Bibas family might still be alive, they had actually known for some time that the family had died while being held captive in Gaza. This admission marks a significant shift in the narrative surrounding the Bibas family's fate.

Hamas claimed in November 2023 that 32-year-old Shiri Bibas and her two children, four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir, were killed in an Israeli airstrike. However, the Israeli military continually demanded that Hamas release them, maintaining that they were still alive. This discrepancy has fueled public confusion and grief.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed on Friday that the two infants died "no later than November 2023," after Hamas returned bodies as part of a ceasefire agreement. Hagari stated at a press conference that the Israeli military possessed intelligence indicating their deaths, but was unable to announce it to the public. The timing of the deaths remains a point of contention.

Hagari denied that they died in an Israeli airstrike, claiming instead that they were "killed at the hands of those who held them." He did not provide further details or evidence to support this claim. Middle East Eye has been unable to independently verify the circumstances of the children's deaths, which raises questions about the reliability of the information.

The Bibas family was captured by the Mujahideen Brigades, a small armed group operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Their father, Yarden Bibas, was released earlier this month as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel. Hamas stated on Thursday that it had returned the remains of the mother, Shiri, as well as those of Ariel and Kfir. Israeli authorities said that Shiri's body was not returned, but rather the body of an unidentified woman was sent. Hamas acknowledged on Friday that there may have been confusion and stated that it was investigating Israel's claims. The investigation results are eagerly awaited.

Both sides are set to conclude a new round of prisoner exchanges on Saturday, with six Israelis expected to be released from Gaza in exchange for around 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The prisoner exchange is part of the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is set to expire on March 1. The agreement ended Israel's relentless 15-month bombardment and assault on Gaza, which rendered much of the besieged Palestinian territory uninhabitable. Israel's attacks have killed over 48,000 Palestinians, injured 111,000, and left another 10,000 missing, presumed dead. The Hamas-led October 7 attack killed around 1,100 Israelis and dozens of foreign workers, with more than 400 soldiers killed in the subsequent war. The long-term implications of the conflict remain uncertain.