Netanyahu decries release of wrong body as ‘malicious’ ceasefire violation

A poster shows Shiri Bibas, center, who was kidnapped to Gaza with her husband and two young sons on Oct. 7, 2023, in Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed revenge for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement after authorities determined that a body released by Hamas as part of the deal was not an Israeli mother of two small boys, as the militant group had promised.

The incident raised new doubts about the future of the fragile ceasefire deal, which has paused over 15 months of war but is nearing the end of its first phase.