Oded Lifshitz was slain in captivity over a year ago, forensic institute chief says

Dr. Chen Kugel, the head of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir), formally confirms that it has identified the body of returned hostage Oded Lifshitz, adding that he was slain in captivity more than a year ago.

The Lifshitz family and the Prime Minister’s Office have previously announced the development, with the latter saying Oded was murdered in captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In a brief video statement, Kugel says the institute is acting to give a definitive answer regarding the other three bodies released by Hamas today, believed to be those of Shiri Silberman Bibas and her two young boys, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were aged 4 years and 9 months, respectively, when they were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.

This is a “difficult moment” for all of Israel, Kugel says, sending condolences to the Lifshitz family.