Tel Aviv, Feb 20 (IANS) Hamas’s “ugly and brutal act” of parading bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday before handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team in Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip has ignited gross condemnation, not just from Israel but all over the world.
Marking the first repatriation of deceased hostages under an ongoing ceasefire agreement, the handover occured near Bani Suhaila cemetery during a military parade attended by members of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas and other Palestinian factions. It featured a large crowd of masked gunmen positioned around a platform where the coffins were placed.
The bodies belonged to Shiri Bibas, her two children, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and an elderly man Oded Lifshitz, who were killed in the Gaza Strip during the conflict with Israel.
After the ICRC team arrived, a militant of al-Qassam Brigades lifted a black curtain, revealing four black wooden coffins adorned with pictures of the deceased.
The manner in which Hamas terrorists handed over the bodies of four Israeli civilians has been severely criticised all over the world.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the parading of bodies in Gaza was “abhorrent” and in violation of international law.
Social media was abuzz with scathing criticism of the inhuman parade.
Condemning the stunt, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and the US, Gilad Erdan wrote on X, “Even in Nazi Germany, there were Germans who saved Jews. Not a single Gazan saved a single hostage. Many, many ‘innocent’ Gazans took part in the kidnapping and murder and many more came out today and on October 7th to celebrate the return of Jewish babies in coffins. Hamas must be eradicated. Fully. Gaza must be denazified and demilitarized. President Donald Trump’s vision must be realized. We cannot live side by side with Hamas and their collaborators.”
Former UK Secretary of State and Conservative MP, Suella Braverman penned down on X, “And yet Labour MPs want to allow some of these people into the UK under the guise of ‘refugee’. Today is a heart-breaking day: we mourn with the Bibas and Lifshitz families. This is what Israel is fighting day in, day out, on every front, at every border. We pledge to keep fighting for the hostages to be released, for Israel and for humanity”.
Member of German Parliament, Lamya Kaddor posted on X, “The news of the death of Bibas family is unbearable. The perfidious spectacle of the hostage handover is also unbearable. My thoughts today are with father Yarden Bibas, who himself was freed from Hamas captivity only three weeks ago.”
After Hamas announced the handover of the dead bodies, former US ambassador to UN, Nikki Haley posted on X, writing, “Shame on any media outlet that can’t call this what it is, murder. Two innocent babies, their mother, and others did not simply “die”. They were kidnapped, murdered, and their bodies were held as bargaining chips by terrorists. Anyone who doubts the brutality of Hamas, anyone who thinks these are people who can be negotiated with, look at what they did to Ariel and Kfir. Hamas needs to be finished once and for all.”
–IANS
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