Hamas claims Bibas children’s bodies will be among four returned this week

Hamas has reportedly claimed that the bodies of the Bibas children, Ariel and Kfir, will be among those returned to Israel this week.

Israeli and Arab media have been reporting that the remains of at least four Israelis who died in captivity will be released back to Israel on Thursday.

But CNN is now reporting that the terror group has identified the Bibas children as part of the group of deceased hostages who will be returned.

This report was seemingly confirmed when the families of six of the 14 remaining hostages listed for release in phase one of the ceasefire deal announced that they had been informed by Israeli officials that their relatives would be coming home.

That leaves eight of the original list of 33 remaining – matching the number of captives Hamas has previously claimed are dead.

The two boys were the youngest Israelis abducted by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks, with Kfir just nine months old and Ariel aged four at the time.

They were taken along with their parents, Yarden and Shiri, from their home in Nir Oz and the striking video of Shiri clutching her children to her as they are dragged away has become one of the most harrowing and enduring images of the atrocities.

Yarden has since been freed and returned to Israel and relatives say he has been anxiously awaiting news of his wife and children after being held separately from them.

Concern is also mounting for Shiri’s wellbeing as she remains in Gaza and is also part among the group of eight who have not been named for release this weekend.

Should the group’s claims transpire to be true, it could also mark an inflection point in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Some in Israel have argued that any harm to the Bibas children would constitue the crossing of a “red line” and should prompt the resumption of fighting in Gaza in order to completely dismantle Hamas.

There is already immense pressure on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to pull out of peace negotiations and ensure “total victory” in the Strip, with at least one cabinet minister threatening to resign and collapse the government if he does not.

However, it should be noted that Hamas has previously claimed that hostages have been killed only to release them alive at a later date.

That being said, under international humanitarian rules, the Bibas children should have been among the first hostages released as part of the ceasefire’s first phase if they are still alive.

Israeli officials have said they will not announce which hostages have been killed until the bodies have been returned and hostage families informed following a formal indentification process.