Shaun
Hamas is set to release six more Israeli hostages on Saturday morning in the latest exchange under the terms of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel will set free about 600 Palestinians in return, despite tensions in recent days following the missing body of hostage Shiri Bibas.
It comes 24 hours after her remains were purportedly handed over to Israel by Hamas on Thursday – alongside the bodies of two of her children and another hostage – only for Israel’s military to later claim that the body they were given was not Bibas.
The community of hostage Shiri Bibas has confirmed the Israeli mother was killed in Hamas captivity, writes Gabrielle Briner.
Kibbutz Nir Oz in a statement on Saturday said: “Kibbutz Nir Oz announces with deep pain and sorrow the murder of Shiri Bibas, of blessed memory, who was abducted from her home on October 7 and killed in captivity in Gaza.”
It added: “She will be laid to rest in the land of Israel alongside her two young sons.”
The announcement came hours after the Red Cross transferred a body to Israeli authorities on Friday night.
The body underwent forensic examination in Israel, according to local media, confirming Bibas’ identity.
The Bibas family said in a statement: “We received the news we feared to be true. Our Shiri was murdered in captivity.”
Six more Israeli hostages are due to be released this morning at 8.30am local time (6.30am GMT).
They include Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23. All three were abducted from a music festival during the Oct 7 attack.
Tal Shoham, 40, who was taken from the community of Kibbutz Beeri, is also set to be released.
In addition, Avera Mengistu, 39, and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, who have been held since crossing into Gaza on their own around a decade ago, are scheduled to be returned.
