Netanyahu Threatens Hamas Over Wrong Body, Ceasefire at Risk

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to make Hamas pay for what he described as a 'cruel and wicked violation' of the ceasefire agreement after the militant group handed over the body of an unidentified Gazan woman instead of Shiri Bibas, who was taken hostage along with her two sons. Despite Hamas returning the remains of Bibas's children and another hostage, Oded Lifshitz, the absence of Bibas’s body has raised tensions and could jeopardize ongoing negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire. Netanyahu accused Hamas of acting cynically and stated that Israel would act decisively to retrieve Bibas. Meanwhile, Hamas suggested that the body handover could have been a mistake and promised to investigate the claims seriously. The incident underscores the fragility of the ceasefire reached with U.S. support and mediation from Qatar and Egypt, with the future of the truce now uncertain. Six living hostages are still expected to be released soon as part of the agreement's first phase.