A Day of Pure Evil
It is such a sombre day here in Scotland, and all I can do is pray; today is February 20, 2025, marking Day 503 of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict; the cherished remains of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas were returned to Israel.
The four individuals abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the brutal Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, have been released by Hamas and handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, situated in the southern region of the Gaza Strip, as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Their coffins, draped in Israeli flags, were received by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a small ceremony conducted in Gaza with a rabbi present before being transported to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Israel for identification.
Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old peace activist and journalist, was a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was kidnapped alongside his wife, Yocheved, who was released in November 2023. Israel has confirmed that Lifshitz was murdered in captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad more than a year prior, though specific details about the cause of death remain limited.
Shiri Bibas, 32, and her sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old at the time of their abduction, became symbols of the hostage crisis, with haunting footage of Shiri clutching her children during their kidnapping widely circulated. Their father and husband, Yarden Bibas, were released alive on February 1, 2025.
The identification process for the Bibas family is ongoing, with forensic experts working to provide definitive confirmation and, where possible, determine the cause of their deaths.
The handover was marked by a controversial Hamas-orchestrated event. It featured propaganda displays, including a poster depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire, and placed blame on Israel for their deaths.
The United Nations and others, including Israeli leaders, criticised the public parading of the coffins as inhumane, demonstrating a unified global stance against such Actions.
The return of these hostages’ remains after 503 days highlights the persistent anguish of the conflict. The nation mourns as their families await final forensic results, a stark reminder that the conflict is far from over.
(Day 503) Swords of Iron – “Our Eyes Are Fountains Of Tears🇮🇱
Heart-Wrenching Exchange: Israel Mourns the Returned Bodies of Slain Family