Israel vows revenge over release of wrong hostage body — as Hamas blames it on ‘error’

( NYPost )

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Friday to make Hamas “pay the price” for a “cruel and malicious violation” of the cease-fire deal after it sent back the body of a Gaza woman instead of slain mom of two Shiri Bibi — which the terror group blamed on an “error.”

Netanyahu accused the terrorists of acting “in an unspeakably cynical manner” by placing the unidentified remains in the coffin instead of Bibas — who was kidnapped by Hamas along with her two young boys — before returning them to the Jewish state early Thursday.

“We will work with determination to bring Shiri home together with all our hostages — both living and dead — and ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement,” the Israeli leader raged in a statement.

Hamas had turned over four coffins a day earlier that were supposed to contain the bodies of Bibas, her two sons, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz.

Israeli authorities later revealed that while the remains of Bibas’ murdered kids and Lifshitz were positively identified, the fourth casket contained an “anonymous, unidentified body.”

“The sacred memory of Oded Lifshitz and Ariel and Kfir Bibas will be forever enshrined in the heart of the nation. May God avenge their blood. And so we will avenge,” Netanyahu said as he vowed retribution over the ordeal.

Hamas, meanwhile, said it was investigating the “error” and claimed it had “no interest in retaining any bodies.”

“We reject Netanyahu’s threats, which serve only to manipulate Israeli public opinion,” Hamas said, claiming the Israeli leader “bears full responsibility for killing her and her children.”

The group also called for the return of the unidentified woman’s remains, which Israel said are those of a Palestinian woman.

It came as a US official warned, too, that Hamas would face “total annihilation” if all hostages — living and dead — were not returned to Israel as part of the agreement.

President Trump’s special envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, issued the stark threat just hours after the positive identifications were made.

“It’s horrific. It’s a clear violation and if I have one piece of advice for Hamas now, it’s ‘You need to release her body immediately,’” Boehler told CNN’s Anderson Cooper late Thursday.

“If I were [Hamas], I would release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation right now.”