Bibas Family Ceremony and Bat Yam Bombings Push Israeli-Palestinian Conflict to Boiling Point
Outrage in Israel as Hamas staged a gruesome ceremony displaying the Bibas family hostages' bodies. The act halted 600 prisoner releases and, alongside bus bombings near Tel Aviv, has sparked a massive counter-terror operation
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached another boiling point over the past days as Hamas staged a ceremony displaying the bodies of the Bibas family hostages, drawing outrage across Israel.
Nidal Foqaha, Director General of the Palestinian Peace Coalition – Geneva Initiative, commented on the grim spectacle, stating, “It is deeply tragic to see human lives being used as political tools. This should never be acceptable, no matter the side,” he said to The Media Line.
This act is a stain on humanity. It is heartbreaking and only fuels more hatred and division. As a Muslim, I am outraged to see what Hamas has been doing under the alleged reason of Islam.
Similarly, Nael Zoavi, an Arab Israeli educator, activist, and public speaker, expressed his dismay, saying, “This act is a stain on humanity. It is heartbreaking and only fuels more hatred and division. As a Muslim, I am outraged to see what Hamas has been doing under the alleged reason of Islam,” he said to The Media Line.
Initially, the group handed over what was claimed to be the body of Shira Bibas, the mother of Kfir and Ariel Bibas. However, after medical verification, it was revealed that the body was not hers, leading to further tensions and accusations against Hamas of psychological warfare. Eventually, the correct body was returned in what has been described as a gruesome display of power by the Islamist group.
For the first time, you saw an overall Israeli rage against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Harel Chorev, a Senior Researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Tel Aviv University, emphasized the Israeli public’s fury at the incident. “For the first time, you saw an overall Israeli rage against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” he noted, pointing out how the event solidified the Israeli perception that “all Palestinian organizations, including Fatah, participated in this horrific ceremony.” The event was a stark reminder of the deepening schism between the two societies.
In response to the parading of hostages and the ongoing psychological warfare, Israeli authorities announced the halt of 600 Palestinian prisoner releases, a measure that had been part of a broader ceasefire deal mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The move, which the Israeli government justified as necessary given Hamas’ provocations, has sparked diplomatic concerns, particularly as it contradicts previous agreements.
The fact that the Americans are not asking the Israelis to abide by the provisions of the deal will complicate the future—not only phases but even arriving at the end of stage one.” He further warned that Hamas could retaliate, making it “extremely important for mediators like Qatar and Egypt to ensure Israel upholds its commitments.
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Nidal Foqaha criticized Israel’s decision, stating, “The fact that the Americans are not asking the Israelis to abide by the provisions of the deal will complicate the future—not only phases but even arriving at the end of stage one.” He further warned that Hamas could retaliate, making it “extremely important for mediators like Qatar and Egypt to ensure Israel upholds its commitments,” he added.
Whatever we’re going to sign, any guarantees that we’re going to sign in the future, we must ensure that Hamas is completely eradicated afterward, so halting prisoners at the moment is a way of showing that we are not going to play by Hamas’ games.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chorev argued that the decision was a necessary strategic shift: “Whatever we’re going to sign, any guarantees that we’re going to sign in the future, we must ensure that Hamas is completely eradicated afterward, so halting prisoners at the moment is a way of showing that we are not going to play by Hamas’ games.” This position has been widely supported by Israeli officials and segments of the public who view any concessions to Hamas as emboldening further violence.
Shortly after, on February 20, 2025, three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam, a suburb near Tel Aviv. The explosions occurred in separate parking lots approximately 500 meters apart, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. Israeli police are investigating the incident as a coordinated terror attack. Notably, one of the explosive devices contained a note with Arabic writing referencing “revenge for Tulkarem,” suggesting a possible motive linked to recent Israeli military operations in the Tulkarem refugee camp.
Dr. Chorev acknowledged the lapse in security, noting, “The security fence has been penetrated in the past two decades. It is being reconstructed, but not in a satisfying phase.” He further stressed that “to overpass the eyes of Israeli intelligence and Shin Bet is a different story. This is exactly what they are now working on.”
So far, the investigation led to the arrest of three suspects: two Jewish Israelis and one Palestinian. Reports indicate that the Jewish Israeli suspects are believed to have transported the Palestinian suspect to Bat Yam before the bombings.
Foqaha expressed skepticism about the origins of the attack: “Israel has not arrested specific Palestinians at the moment, and it is unlikely that such a coordinated operation was entirely orchestrated from the West Bank. There is no certain Palestinian individual or party who has the logistics, the capacity, the sense of security, and the expertise to plant explosives in five or ten buses at the same time in Israel.”
There are Arabs in Israel who are against the state, but they are a minority. We need to focus on those who raise the Israeli flag, not the ones who try to destroy it from within.
Zoavi added another layer to the discussion, suggesting internal collaboration: “I am sure that someone helped from the bus companies. I am sure that someone internally helped. It is clear.” He further expressed deep concern over the potential involvement of Arab citizens in such acts: “There are Arabs in Israel who are against the state, but they are a minority. We need to focus on those who raise the Israeli flag, not the ones who try to destroy it from within.”
In response to the attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “massive” counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank, emphasizing the need to intensify preventive activities nationwide. “If we don’t unite against terrorists, we will be the next victims, doesn’t matter whether Jewish or Arab, so it is necessary,” Zoavi warned.
The Israeli government, backed by the US, continues to hold a hard line against Hamas while attempting to manage international pressure regarding the halted prisoner releases. Israel has just demanded the release of four bodies without a ceremony yesterday as a must to carry on with the deal.
Hamas, on the other hand, remains defiant, using psychological tactics to test Israeli resilience. The Palestinian Authority is caught in the middle, unable to exert meaningful influence over Hamas while simultaneously advocating for the fulfillment of the ceasefire agreement. Overall, even deeper divisions have been shaping both the Palestinian and Israeli society amid this conflict.
“Being Palestinian today, whether in the West Bank, Gaza, or under occupation, will always pose a life struggle, but we will always choose to stay, no matter the cost,” Foqaha concluded.
As an Arab citizen of Israel, I stand proudly by my country despite internal divisions and global criticism. But I demand from Trump and people abroad to acknowledge us directly, without perceiving the Arab society through the Arab members of the Knesset. Our people need to be seen and heard.
“As an Arab citizen of Israel, I stand proudly by my country despite internal divisions and global criticism,” Zoavi concluded. “But I demand from Trump and people abroad to acknowledge us directly, without perceiving the Arab society through the Arab members of the Knesset. Our people need to be seen and heard.”
