Katz warns murder of Shiri Bibas and two children will not be taken lightly

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A man in northern Israel holds a sign portraying Shiri Silberstein Bibas, whose body Hamas falsely claimed to have released, and her sons, Ariel, 4, and baby Kfir, whose remains were in fact handed over, on February 20, 2025. His sign reads 'The Bibas family: We will not forgive and we will not forget!' (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
A man in northern Israel holds a sign portraying Shiri Silberstein Bibas, whose body Hamas falsely claimed to have released, and her sons, Ariel, 4, and baby Kfir, whose remains were in fact handed over, on February 20, 2025. His sign reads 'The Bibas family: We will not forgive and we will not forget!' (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Ariel and Kfir in captivity will “not be taken lightly.”

“The return of Eliya, Omer, Hisham, Avera, Omer, and Tal is an exciting and joyous moment for their families and for all the people of Israel, which is also accompanied by deep pain over the fate of Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir, who were brutally murdered by Hamas and their partners,” he says in a statement.

“This horrible and horrific act will not be taken lightly,” Katz says.

Israel says forensic details show captors killed the three with their bare hands and then tried to cover it up.

His statement comes amid reports Israel has delayed the release of Palestinian security prisoners until a consultation to be headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this evening.

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