Hamas has launched an internal investigation after handing over the wrong body to Israel under the current ceasefire agreement, sparking fury from Israeli officials and prompting threats of retaliation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The deal included the transfer of the remains of four hostages, including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, but Israeli forensic teams found that one body belonged to an unidentified woman instead.
Hamas has blamed the mix-up on the chaotic conditions caused by Israeli airstrikes, which it claimed had led to the commingling of bodies under the rubble, while Israeli intelligence stated that the Bibas children were brutally killed by their captors rather than in airstrikes.
In response, Hamas said that "we confirm that it is not in our values or our interest to keep any bodies or not to abide by the covenants and agreements that we sign," adding that it would look into the Israeli claims and reveal the findings.
Despite the uproar, the truce remains intact, with six living hostages expected to be freed in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, though both sides continue to accuse each other of violations, so, for now, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.