Israel and Hamas senior official have confirmed that the Red Cross was handed over remains by Hamas’s al-Qassam brigades on Friday evening.
The IDF said that they are in contact with the Bibas family. “We emphasize the family’s request to show responsibility and not publish unauthorized reports, that could harm the efforts,” the IDF said.
The Israel Police have been instructed to start preparing to escort a convoy to the Forensic Medicine Institute if the coffin arrives, Maariv reported.
The Red Cross had informed Israel that Hamas called for them, an Israeli official said.
The Forensic Medicine Center’s teams are preparing for the remains to be identified and give their results as soon as possible, the Health Ministry announced in a statement.
“These are difficult hours of uncertainty,” the Head of the Mental Health Division at the Health Ministry, Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer said. “Uncertainty can and may cause us to become restless and stressed. In order to deal with uncertainty, we naturally and healthily try to cling to every possible certainty.
“We recommend supporting those around us, friends and family, and also distracting ourselves from what is uncertain (such as horror videos, rumors, commentaries or statements by Hamas), by engaging in what is certain and good for us.”
Original remains brought back was not Shiri
The IDF confirmed on Friday morning that the hostage remains released on Thursday by Hamas belonged to Ariel and Kfir Bibas. However, the third body “was not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. It is an anonymous body without identification,” Israel’s military stated.
Hamas added that there was a possibility of “an error or mix-up in the bodies, which may have resulted from the occupation’s targeting and bombing of the location where the family was present along with other Palestinians.”
Hamas then claimed it would carry out its own investigation and would reveal the results.
Israel has used DNA and forensic techniques to confirm that the body is indeed not Shiri Bibas’s. However, Hamas claimed it would carry out its own investigation and would reveal the results.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this article.
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