**Ceasefire Agreement in Doubt After Israel Rejects Hamas Claim**
Israel’s announcement on Thursday that a body returned from Gaza was not Shiri Bibas, as claimed by Hamas, has put the ceasefire agreement in jeopardy. The Israeli military said forensic tests could only confirm the bodies of Ariel and Kfir, aged five and two respectively, but not their mother.
**Mixed-Up Bodies Under Rubble?**
Hamas spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta suggested that Shiri’s remains were mixed up with other dead bodies under rubble following an Israeli air strike. The group stated that it was “serious and fully committed” to the ceasefire agreement, but also demanded the return of a Palestinian woman’s remains mistakenly given to Israel.
**Netanyahu Warns Hamas**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas would pay “full price” if it failed to deliver Shiri’s corpse. He called this a “cruel violation” of the agreement and said Israel will “act with determination” to bring her back home.
**Israel Claims Boys Were Murdered**
Israel has claimed that Ariel and Kfir were “brutally murdered by terrorists while in captivity”. Hamas, on the other hand, claims that the boys and Shiri were killed in an IDF airstrike. These revelations have been met with outrage from Israeli politicians who are calling for a resumption of war in Gaza.
**Ceasefire on the Brink**
The ceasefire agreement has entered a new phase of uncertainty. The first phase is drawing to a close, but negotiations on the second stage have not yet begun. This stage requires all remaining hostages, dead or alive, to be released. Hamas rejects Israel’s continued security control in Gaza, while Israel demands that Hamas disarm completely.
**Return of All Hostages Demanded**
The majority of Israelis believe that nothing should be done to prevent the return of all remaining hostages. President Isaac Herzog condemned the latest developments and said Israel must remember its “highest responsibility” to bring back every kidnapped brother and sister.
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