“We did not achieve peace at the end of this war — we achieved defeat,” said Dana Silverman-Setton, whose parents, sister and nephews were murdered by terrorists.

By World Israel News Staff

The sister of murdered hostage Shiri Bibas offered scathing criticism of the recently implemented ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, writing that while she was happy to see the living hostages reunited with their families, Israel had not achieved a decisive victory over Hamas and the Jewish state remains in grave danger.

Dana Silverman-Setton’s sister, Shiri, nephews Ariel and Kfir, and parents José Luis (Yossi) Silverman and Margit Schnaider Silverman were all murdered by terrorists.

Silverman-Setton’s parents were killed in their home, while her sister, nephews and brother-in-law, Yarden, were abducted.

After more than 18 months in captivity, Yarden was freed in a ceasefire and hostage deal. Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were murdered in captivity by their captors, with their remains returned to Israel in February 2025.

In a passionate social media post, Silverman-Setton expressed deep skepticism that the Trump-brokered deal would bring lasting peace or ensure Israel’s security.

She wrote that she felt “great sorrow” about the ceasefire, declaring that Israel’s military campaign had not accomplished its goals.

“The war is not over,” she wrote. “It was not for nothing that we sacrificed brave soldiers who were sent into battle. It was not for nothing that our loved ones lay for two years in dark tunnels, starving and depressed. Why should this war end without results? So that in ten years, another October 7 will come upon us again?”

Silverman-Setton referenced U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff’s statement that Israel would now live in peace.

“We did not achieve peace at the end of this war — we achieved defeat,” she wrote. “It is heartbreak for the country.”

While acknowledging “the euphoria and joy” among Israelis over the return of the living hostages, she warned that “after two years, broken people are returning to us, and we don’t know if they will ever recover from what they’ve endured — from a day that was never supposed to happen!”

She stressed that Israel must “look beyond tomorrow — beyond this happy day — and realize that we haven’t finished anything, and we still have much to fear.”

“I’m afraid this euphoria will take its revenge on us, and we will forget what happened — and what must never happen again.”

The post Shiri Bibas’ sister – ‘The war isn’t over, Israel has a lot to fear’ appeared first on World Israel News.

In February, a body claimed to be that of Shiri Bibas was returned to Israel along with her two children, but a forensic examination determined the body was Palestinian.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

The families of Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi and civilians Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levy announced on Wednesday morning that their bodies were was among the four returned by Hamas overnight.

“We sat shiva but couldn’t bury him. Now, at last, we can,” the Baruch family said in a statement.

“After two years of agonizing uncertainty, full of hope and desire for a different ending, we received the difficult news of the identification of our beloved Tamir,” the Nimrodi famil said. “Tamir was brutally kidnapped from his base and murdered in Hamas captivity. We are in moments of pain and gathering, but we will not abandon the families of the kidnapped and the kidnapped until the last kidnapped is released.”

Officials at the National Institute of Forensics cautioned that the ongoing identification process could take hours, or more than one day depending on the complexity of each case. Unlike Monday’s handover, Hamas did not specify the names of the dead. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the center is investigating the possibility that the fourth body is not a hostage.

Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. He and his friend Michel Yoav fled the attack in Baruch’s car but were ambushed by terrorists at the Mefalsim Junction, who opened fire. Videos later showed Michel dead in the car and Uriel lying nearby, but his fate remained uncertain. In March 2024, new intelligence confirmed Uriel had been killed on October 7 and his body held in Gaza.

Nimrodi, 19, served in an army unit coordinating activities between Israel and international organizations active in Gaza. He was stationed near the Erez Crossing and hostage the morning of Hamas’ attack. Video footage showed him with fellow soldiers *ik Baizer*and Ron Sherman, forced by terrorists toward their base gate in shorts and T-shirts before being taken into Gaza.

A cab driver from Bat Yam, Levy 53, vanished on October 7, 2023, after finishing a fare to Kibbutz Be’eri. During a call to his son, Shahar, about the Hamas rockets, Shahar heard gunfire and Arabic shouting before the line went silent. For more than 40 days, Levy was listed as missing until officials confirmed he had been taken hostage. Sixty-two days later, the IDF informed his family that he was believed to have been killed while in captivity in Gaza.

In February, a body claimed to be that of Shiri Bibas was returned to Israel along with her two children, but a forensic examination determined the body was Palestinian. Terrorists murdered the sons, Ariel and Kfir with their bare hands, then mutiltated the bodies to make it look like they were killed in an airstrike. Hamas released Shiri’s remains the next day.

It is believed Hamas will hand over more remains on Wednesday.

Around 1,200 people killed that day and 252 Israelis and foreigners were abducted. The bodies of at least 22 more hostages remain in Gaza.

The post Remains of hostages Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy identified appeared first on World Israel News.

The world must recognize the face of evil of the Palestinian Authority.

By Itamar Marcus and Ephraim D. Tepler, Palestinian Media Watch

What can you expect from a Fatah leader who celebrated October 7 because it “made our heads touch the clouds”?

First, Hamas murdered Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas as well as many other Israeli hostages.

Then, it tried to trick Israel by not returning Shiri’s body, proving that Israel must do careful forensic examinations on all bodies.

Now, the terror-supporting Fatah leader is complaining that those forensic checks, necessary to confirm the identity of murdered Israeli hostages, abuse the Palestinian terrorist murderers because their release from prison may become delayed.

Outrageously, he says that the parents waiting extra time for the released terrorists, many of whom by law should be remaining in prison for life, “is a violation of the law, this is torture.”

The world must recognize the face of evil of the Palestinian Authority.

For PA/Fatah leaders, torturing and murdering Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir is not against the law, but delaying the release of murderers, whom Israel was forced to release in an extortion deal, is against the law.

Fatah Secretary in The Hague Zaid Tyam:

“The occupation (i.e., Israel) checked the bodies and other things to drag its feet to abuse the Palestinian prisoners… The [Palestinian] families who stayed from Saturday until the following Saturday in some places waiting for their sons is a violation of the law, this is torture. Why don’t people and the world talk about this issue?”

[Al-Qahera News TV (Egypt), YouTube channel, March 3, 2025]

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Moroccan sheikh and Israeli Arab imams join interfaith delegation paying a condolence call to the Bibas family mourning the murders of Shiri Bibas and her sons Kfir and Ariel.

By World Israel News Staff

An interfaith delegation of rabbis, imams, and sheikhs from across Israel, along with Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abidu from Morocco, arrived in Kfar Maccabiah on Sunday to console the Bibas family following the return of the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, who were brutally murdered in Hamas captivity.

The visit was initiated by the Religious Communities Division of the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center, the Interfaith Leadership Forum in Israel, the Druze Religious Council, and additional faith leaders including rabbis from the Chief Rabbinate Council.

The delegation came together to offer condolences, standing in solidarity with the bereaved family and denouncing the horrific violence that claimed their loved ones.

“The Interfaith Leaders Forum in Israel stands in deep solidarity with the Bibas family in their immense grief,” said Sheikh Younes Amasha, chairperson of the Interfaith Leaders Forum.

“We call on world leaders to do everything in their power to secure the safe return of all remaining hostages and to work toward ending this cycle of violence. Peace and security are fundamental values in every faith, and we urge all to uphold them with unwavering commitment.”

“Today, we stood together—rabbis, imams, and sheikhs—united in grief and solidarity with the Bibas family,” said Rabbi Aharon Ariel Lavi, Managing Director of the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center.

“This visit was not just about offering condolences, but about reaffirming our shared humanity and the belief that no family should endure such pain. Our faiths may differ, but our commitment to compassion and justice binds us together.”

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abidu, who traveled from Morocco to participate in the delegation, emphasized the shared values of peace and dignity across faiths.

“I came from Morocco to join my brothers in faith in expressing our deepest sorrow and support for the Bibas family. Islam teaches us the sanctity of life, and what happened here is a tragedy for all humanity. We stand together in mourning, and we pray for a future of peace and understanding between all peoples.”

Iyad Sirkhan, Director of the Division for Religious Communities at the Ministry of the Interior, added” “The presence of so many religious leaders here today underscores our shared responsibility to stand against evil and to offer comfort where we can. This tragedy touches us all, and we remain committed to strengthening the bonds between our communities in pursuit of a more just and compassionate society.”

Shiri Bibas, her husband Yarden, and the couple’s two sons were abducted by Gazan terrorists on October 7^th, 2023.

While Yarden was returned to Israel alive on February 1^st, 2025, the remains of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were returned to Israel weeks later.

Forensic analysis of the bodies suggested that the three were murdered in captivity in November 2023, contradicting Hamas’ claim that they were killed by an IDF airstrike.

Israeli officials stated that the Bibas children were apparently killed with “bare hands,” and that their skulls were later crushed in such a way to make it appear as if they had been killed by rubble from an airstrike.

The post Muslim leaders pay condolence call to family of slain Israeli hostages appeared first on World Israel News.

“May the memories of your beloved children and your wife, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, be a blessing to you. Always,” Disturbed’s lead singer tells Yarden Bibas.

By World Israel News Staff

The lead singer of a prominent rock band recorded a heartfelt message to Yarden Bibas on Wednesday after the bereaved father chose one of his songs to play at his family’s funeral.

The funeral of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas featured the song “Hold On To The Memories” by the alternative metal band Disturbed. The band’s lead singer and lyricist, David Draiman, is Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel.

Draiman posted a video to his Instagram account in which he directly addressed Yarden Bibas.

“Dear, dear Yarden. Shalom achi [hello my brother.] I am so, so very sorry for your loss. All of Am Israel [the Jewish people] is crying with you today. Hold on to the memories of your family, of your children, of your beloved wife. We all will,” Draiman said.

“As long as we hold them in our memory, they’ll stay there. May the memories of your beloved children and your wife, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, be a blessing to you. Always,” he continued.

“Am Israel Chai achi [the people of Israel live.] Stay strong,” Draiman concluded.

Since the onset of the October 7th war, Draiman has used social media to combat anti-Israel and pro-Hamas narratives.

In March 2024, a video of Draiman speaking to the crowd at a Distrubed concert went viral as he railed against the Hamas terror group.

“I miss people who were slaughtered like animals at the Nova Festival. Rape is not resistance. Slaughtering innocents at a music festival that brings together people from all walks of life is not resistance,” he said.

“I genuinely feel empathy for the Palestinian people. There is not a single Jew on this planet that does not celebrate life. We celebrate life. Hamas celebrates death, and they need to be eradicated; not the Palestinians, Hamas. We need to save Gaza from Hamas.”

At the time, Draiman told the Jewish Chronicle that he “lost friends at the Nova Festival. So many were slaughtered. Even after all of these months, I can’t shake the state of shock.”

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There were reports of Hamas agreeing not to hold cruel propaganda ceremonies during the release of the four slain hostages.

By World Israel News staff

Hamas has announced that it has reached an agreement with Israel for the “simultaneous” exchange of four Israeli hostages’ bodies and 602 Palestinian security prisoners.

This deal resolves a deadlock that had threatened to derail the ceasefire agreement before its first phase could be completed.

“An agreement was reached to resolve the issue of the delayed release of Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be freed in the last batch,” Hamas said. “They will be released simultaneously with the bodies of the Israeli prisoners agreed upon for transfer during the first phase, in addition to an equivalent number of Palestinian women and children.”

An Israeli official confirmed the agreement. Another source familiar with the matter indicated that Egypt would oversee the exchange.

Israel’s decision to delay the prisoner release came after Hamas transferred the remains of an unidentified woman on Friday, claiming it was Shiri Bibas. This led to further scrutiny of Hamas’s handling of the deal.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office cited repeated violations of the ceasefire-hostage agreement as the reason for the postponement, stating that the release would be delayed until more Israeli hostages were secured.

Israel had originally been scheduled to release the Palestinian prisoners on Saturday but refused to do so, citing Hamas’s violations of the agreement during the return of the Bibas family’s remains and the propaganda events it has conducted throughout the hostage release process in phase one.

Earlier today, there were reports of Hamas agreeing not to hold cruel propaganda ceremonies during the release of the four slain hostages.

However, similar commitments were made before the handover of the Bibas family members and the body of Oded Lifshitz but were not honored.

As a result, Israel had refused to release the Palestinian prisoners before the Israeli hostages were returned.

Hamas claimed the agreement was finalized during meetings in Cairo between its delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, and Egyptian officials.

The post Israel finalizes swap with Hamas: 602 terrorist prisoners for 4 dead hostages appeared first on World Israel News.

‘Our examination found no injuries consistent with a bombing,’ says IDF.

By JNS

A forensic analysis of Shiri Bibas’s body found no evidence linking her death to an Israeli airstrike, contrary to claims made by Hamas.

Her corpse was positively identified by Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir) in Tel Aviv.

“We identified Shiri Bibas two days after confirming the identities of her two young children, Kfir and Ariel,” Kugel stated on Saturday. “Our examination found no injuries consistent with a bombing.”

Hamas had long alleged that Bibas and her children were killed in an IDF airstrike in Gaza. However, the forensic findings directly contradict that narrative.

“We were met with depths of evil and malice that could not be conceived,” added Kugel.

On Thursday, Hamas returned the bodies of Shiri’s children, Kfir and Ariel, along with that of octogenarian Oded Lifshitz. However, the fourth body freed from Gaza, which Hamas said was that of Shiri Bibis, was found to belong to an unidentified woman.

Shiri Bibas’s remains were returned to Israel from Gaza on Friday night. Hamas transferred her body to the Red Cross, which then handed it over to the IDF. The military brought her remains to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for definitive identification and examination.

“This is a difficult day for us and for all citizens of Israel,” Kugel concluded.

Forensic analysis of Kfir and Ariel also showed that they were murdered in cold blood by their Gaza captors. The IDF said that the Palestinian terrorists committed the crime “with their bare hands” weeks after being taken captive on Oct. 7, 2023.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Gazan terrorists stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz. They breached the Bibas family home’s door using a drill and other equipment and entered the safe room where the four were hiding. Father Yarden reported the attack to his wider family in real-time, texting that “it feels like the end.”

The video of Shiri’s kidnapping—terrified and trying to protect her two children with her arms as she was surrounded by masked men with weapons—became a symbol of the Oct. 7 massacre. Shiri’s parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were murdered that day.

Yarden Bibas was freed on Feb. 1 after 484 days in Hamas captivity.

According to the Israeli government, 63 hostages are remaining in Gaza, with 36 classified as deceased and 27 alive. Another four bodies are slated for release this coming Thursday.

The post Forensic evidence confirms Shiri Bibas not killed by IDF airstrike appeared first on World Israel News.

After forensic examinations reveal that the two youngest hostages abducted on October 7th were murdered in captivity, and that Hamas violated deal by withholding mother’s remains, Netanyahu vows terror group ‘will pay the full price.’

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu castigated Hamas Friday morning, and warned that Israel would “seek justice” against the terror organization, after Israeli forensics examiners found that two small children taken hostage were murdered.

“The State of Israel bows its head over the loss of two small children, tender infants, brothers—Ariel and Kfir Bibas, may their memory be a blessing, and over Oded Lifshitz, may his memory be a blessing, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz,” Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language video statement.

“All three were brutally murdered in Hamas captivity during the first weeks of the war. The cruelty of the Hamas monsters knows no bounds.”

Netanyahu ripped Hamas not only for the murders of the Bibas children – both of whom were, according to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, murdered in November 2023 – but also for using their bodies in a propaganda display in Gaza on Thursday.

The premier also lambasted the terror group for refusing to return the body of the boys’ mother, Shiri Bibas. Hamas claimed it handed over Shiri’s remains on Thursday, but examiners at Abu Kabir determined that the body was not that of Mrs. Bibas.

“Not only did they abduct the father, Yarden Bibas, the young mother, Shiri, and their two little babies, but in an act of unimaginable cynicism, they did not return Shiri to her small children, these little angels, and instead placed the body of a Gazan woman in the coffin.”

Netanyahu pledged that Hamas would pay “the full price” for violating the ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel.

“We will act with determination to bring Shiri home, along with all our captives—both the living and the fallen—and we will ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and vicious breach of the agreement.”

“May the sacred memory of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas be forever enshrined in the heart of the nation. May God avenge their blood. And we, too, will seek justice.”

Shiri’s husband, Yarden, the father of Kfir and Ariel, was released on February 1st, as part of the ceasefire deal.

Israel contends that the substitution of another body for the remains of Shiri Bibas constitutes a violation of the hostage deal.

On Friday, Hamas issued a statement admitting that it had not returned Mrs. Bibas’ remains.

The terror group claimed that Shiri Bibas was killed in an IDF airstrike – despite forensic evidence from the Bibas children that they were not killed as a result of an airstrike.

“Shiri Bibas’ remains apparently became mixed with the remains of other dead under the rubble, after the IAF struck the place where she was staying,” Hamas claimed.

The post ‘Hamas will pay the full price’ for murdering Bibas family, withholding mother’s body, Netanyahu vows appeared first on World Israel News.

Adam Boehler, Washington’s Envoy for Hostage Affairs, suggested a possible reason why Hamas withheld the body of Shiri Bibas, claiming that they likely murdered her in such an inhumane manner that the mere sight of her remains would provoke immediate destruction.

The post WATCH: US envoy for hostage affairs states Hamas will face total annihilation after switching body of Shiri Bibas appeared first on World Israel News.