Israel Confirms Remains of Bibas Boys but Says the Third Body Not Their Mother’s

The fourth body returned on Feb. 20, that of Oded Lifshitz, was also identified and confirmed to have been murdered.

A woman stares at posters of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, now informally called the "Hostages Square," on Feb. 19, 2025. Jack Guez/AFP

The Israeli army formally identified the bodies of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, returned by terrorist group Hamas on Feb. 20, but said the third body was not that of their mother, Shiri Bibas.

“During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a social media post.