Shiri Bibas ‘mix-up’ row: A fragile Gaza ceasefire stumbles from one hurdle more painful than the last | World News

There is no doubt that further feverish behind-the-scenes mediation to try and ensure the ceasefire remains on track – and that Saturday’s exchange goes ahead.

Hamas says as much, that it has “received the occupation’s allegations and claims from the mediators” and will examine them “with complete seriousness”.

Israel is accusing Hamas of the utmost cynicism, by returning a body Israel claims Hamas knew was not that of Shiri Bibas.

There is no reason in any of these past 16 months of horror to give Hamas the benefit of the doubt.

Nor is it however against the realms of possibility that Hamas never meant to return the wrong body, and that it was indeed a mix-up as they claim.

They knew that Israel would be conducting forensic tests. It is not in their interests to derail the ceasefire.

They don’t want war to resume in Gaza and they want their prisoners back.

The Israel Defense Forces say a combination of prior intelligence and forensic evidence gathered from the remains of the deceased proves the Bibas children and Oded Lifshitz were murdered by their captors in November 2023.

Hamas says it was an Israeli airstrike that killed them.

The IDF say Hamas is lying and that it should not have to engage in “our word against their word” with a terrorist organisation.

Read more on Sky News:
Hamas names six Israeli hostages to be released
Heightening tensions in West Bank
Hamas admits possible error in hostage body ‘mix up’

The IDF add that they are respecting the family’s wishes by not expanding on their findings.

The best possible outcome in a terrible situation is that Hamas finds the remains of Shiri Bibas and fast.

That may be harder if this was – as Hamas claims and Israel denies – an airstrike in which multiple people were killed.

Hostages released already have spoken of the terror they felt as Israel’s bombs exploded around the neighbourhoods in which they were being held.

Unfortunately, the mediators have only the words of the respective parties to go on, and their success depends on navigating a path forward through this total absence of trust.

As ever, this fragile ceasefire stumbles from one hurdle more painful than the last.

With the families of the remaining hostages, with the civilians of Gaza, hoping and praying it holds.