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The bodies of an Israeli mother and her two children have been handed over by Hamas – as the process was labelled “inhumane” by the United Nations human rights chief.

Shiri Bibas, four-year-old Ariel, and nine-month-old Kfir were kidnapped from a kibbutz during the militant group’s October 2023 attack.

The children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was released on 1 February as part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

Live updates – Hamas attacks Netanyahu as it releases bodies

Shiri Bibas and her children, four-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir are yet to be released and there has been no word of them
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Shiri Bibas was filmed cradling Ariel and Kfir as they were kidnapped by Hamas

The body of journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted, was also handed over.

Hamas has said they were all killed in Israeli airstrikes near the start of the war. The group has never provided evidence to back this up, while Israel has not confirmed the claims.

The Bibas family has become a powerful symbol of the 251 Israelis kidnapped on 7 October – not least because Kfir was the youngest taken.

The bodies were handed to the Red Cross in the Gaza city of Khan Younis on Thursday morning.

Oded Lifshitz, 84, taken from Nir-Oz. Pic: Bring Them Home Now
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Oded Lifshitz, 84, was also taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Pic: Bring Them Home Now

Four black coffins were displayed on a stage before being put into vehicles and driven towards Israel as masked members of Hamas and other factions looked on.

United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, called the parading of the four bodies “cruel” and “inhumane” in a statement on Thursday.

He said: “Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”

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‘The life he thought he was coming back to is gone’

Sky’s international correspondent, Diana Magnay, added that Hamas used the handover as a “propaganda opportunity” and had tried to send the message: “This was caused by you, you should take responsibility for it.”

“They had missiles on the stage where the four coffins were, saying they were killed by US bombs,” Magnay said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also depicted as a vampire in an image behind the dead hostages.

Sombre moment for Israelis – as Hamas uses opportunity for propaganda


diana magnay headshot

Diana Magnay

International correspondent

@DiMagnaySky

The return of the bodies of four Israeli hostages is a “sombre moment” for everybody in Israel and Jews across the world, our international correspondent Diana Magnay says.

She says the two young boys, Ariel and Kfir, “really became a symbol of the tremendous suffering 7 October caused”.

“Now, to have them returned back in this way is tragic.”

Referring to the scenes of coffins being transferred to the Red Cross, Magnay says Hamas has chosen to use this “as a propaganda opportunity”.

“They have missiles on the stage where the four coffins were, saying they were killed by US bombs,” she explains.

She says Hamas’s main message is “this was caused by you, you should take responsibility for it”.

She adds that 7 October was caused by Hamas, and has brought “untold suffering to both Israel and Palestinians”.

Israel’s heart ‘in tatters’

At the family’s request, the Israeli military held a small funeral before the bodies were taken to a Tel Aviv laboratory for DNA tests to verify their identity.

Mr Netanyahu said it would be “a very difficult day for the state of Israel”, while President Isaac Herzog said “the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters” and asked for “forgiveness for not protecting you”.

A Hamas militant stands on stage near coffins during the handover of deceased hostages Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, seized during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, to the Red Cross, as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 20, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
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The coffins were displayed on a stage. Pic: Reuters

Pic: IDF
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The Israeli military later received the four bodies. Pic: IDF

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) posted on X saying it could confirm that Mr Lifshitz was “murdered… in captivity by Islamic Jihad”.

It added: “We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Yocheved, and to the rest of his family.”

Israel previously said it was extremely concerned about the condition of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir but had never confirmed their deaths.

All four of the Israelis were abducted at Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of a number of communities overrun by Hamas on the day of the surprise attack.

Video showed Shiri Bibas appearing terrified as she cradled her boys while they were taken into Gaza.

Released Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas embraces loved ones. Pic: Reuters
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The boys’ father Yarden Bibas was released earlier this month. Pic: Reuters

The family said this week their “journey is not over” until they receive confirmation of what happened to Shiri and the boys.

Meanwhile, six living hostages, the final due to be freed under the first phase of the Gaza truce deal, will also be released on Saturday, according to Hamas.

Israelis who survived being held prisoner in Gaza have been released in small groups since the first six-week phase began last month.

Three more – Alexander Troufanov, Sagui Dekel Chen and Iair Horn – were freed last weekend. The swap included 369 Palestinians, the most released so far.

The deal has provided a vital pause in the fighting that’s devastated Gaza and left tens of thousands dead.

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Israeli hostage hugs wife

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Israel said negotiations on the second phase of the deal and an extension to the ceasefire would start this week.

Foreign minister Gideon Saar said it would involve the remaining hostages being exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.

At least 1,200 people were killed in the attack that started the war.

Since then, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters.

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How electricity grids fail – and why restoring Spain and Portugal’s power will be a nightmare

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How electricity grids fail - and why restoring Spain and Portugal's power will be a nightmare

We rarely think about how essential and reliable electricity grids are until they fail.

Now, millions of people across Spain, Portugal and parts of France are likely thinking of little else.

While local power cuts are fairly common, what’s happened across the Iberian peninsula is something far more extreme.

Much of Spain and Portugal’s electricity transmission system collapsed in seconds including in major cities Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona and Seville.

Blackouts latest: ‘Rare atmospheric phenomenon’ behind outages

It’s likely the outage will surpass Europe’s largest blackout to date when 56 million people in Italy and Switzerland lost power for up to 12 hours in 2023.

The cause of the outage is unclear. Portugal’s grid operator has blamed a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” that caused “anomalous oscillations” in high voltage power lines in Spain.

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Spain’s grid operator has yet to respond to that or provide an update on the cause. But it’s unlikely whatever caused the outage was a single, localised event.

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Mayhem in Spain after major power outage

A major power line going down can cause a large outage – as it did in 2021, when an interconnector between France and Spain failed leaving a million people without power for a few hours.

But it’s unlikely to cause a system-wide failure of the kind we’re seeing now.

However, when things do start to fail on a power grid, they can cascade uncontrollably.

Keeping a grid running is a constant and highly complex balancing act.

People wait outside a terminal at Lisbon Airport during a power outage which hit large parts of Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
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People outside a terminal at Lisbon Airport during the blackout. Pic: Reuters

Spain’s mains AC electricity supply grid, like ours in the UK, runs at 50Hz. That frequency is based on the speed at which generating hardware such as gas and nuclear turbines spin.

If there are sudden fluctuations in power supply or demand – a power station failing or a high voltage power line going down, for example – the frequency of AC power in the transmission lines changes and circuit breakers trip to protect either the transmission network, or power plant hardware from burning out.

To prevent such failures, grid engineers constantly measure and forecast supply and demand to keep the grid balanced.

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To protect the system in emergencies, they occasionally have to “shed load” by cutting power to parts of the grid – the reason we’ve all experienced the occasional short-lived power cut.

But if balance is lost, a grid can fail in a domino effect with sections of the grid tripping, then power plants shutting down to protect themselves from the drop in demand, one after another.

The challenge now, and it’s a nightmare for Spain and Portugal’s power engineers, is to gradually restore the grid section by section while maintaining the balance of supply and demand.

Act too fast, and the grid can trip again. Take too long and some power plants or substations might struggle to restart – especially if they rely on battery power to do so.

While some regions of Spain have already had power restored, and Portugal says its power will be back to normal within hours, it could take much longer for the system to be fully restored.

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Israel is ‘starving, killing and displacing’ Gaza civilians, Palestinian envoy tells UN court

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Israel is 'starving, killing and displacing' Gaza civilians, Palestinian envoy tells UN court

A Palestinian diplomat has told the United Nations’ top court that Israel is “starving, killing and displacing” civilians and targeting aid workers in Gaza.

Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff and did not attend the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday.

At The Hague, Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, accused Israel of breaching international law in the occupied territories.

He said: “Israel is starving, killing and displacing Palestinians while also targeting and blocking humanitarian organisations trying to save their lives.”

Palestinian Ambassadors to the United Nations Ammar Hijazi, right, Riyad Mansour, second left, and other members of the legal team wait for the International Court of Justice to open hearings into a United Nations request for an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to allow humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Ammar Hijazi, right. Pic: AP

A protestor with a Palestinian flag waits for others to arrive at the International Court of Justice which opens hearings into a United Nations request for an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to allow humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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A protester outside the International Court of Justice on Monday. Pic: AP

The hearings are focused on a request last year from the UN General Assembly, which asked the court to weigh in on Israel’s legal responsibilities after the country blocked the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees from operating on its territory.

In a resolution sponsored by Norway, the General Assembly requested an advisory opinion, a non-binding but legally important decision from the court, on Israel’s obligations in the occupied territories to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population”.

The International Court of Justice open hearings into a United Nations request for an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to allow humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Pic: AP

While Israel was not in court, foreign minister Gideon Saar told a news conference in Jerusalem: “I accuse UNRWA, I accuse the UN, I accuse the secretary-general and I accuse all those that weaponised international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world, Israel, of its most basic right to defend itself.”

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Forty states and four international organisations are scheduled to participate in the ICJ hearings, with it likely taking months for the court to rule.

Presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa opens the International Court of Justice hearings into a United Nations request for an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to allow humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, in The Hague, Netherlands.
Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The hearings come amid the near collapse of the humanitarian aid system in Gaza.

Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since 2 March.

The World Food Programme said last week its food stocks in the Gaza Strip had run out.

Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahiya. Pic: Reuters
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Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahiya. Pic: Reuters

Israel also renewed its bombardment on 18 March, breaking a ceasefire, and seized large parts of the territory, claiming it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages.

Overnight into Monday, at least 27 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, according to local health officials.

An air strike hit a home in Beit Lahia, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire.

His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to Indonesia Hospital which received the bodies.

Palestinians look at the damage after an Israeli army airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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An Israeli air strike hit a home in Beit Lahia, killing 10 people. Pic: AP

Palestinians walk in the rubbles after an Israeli army airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Pic: AP

Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service.

And late on Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as four-years-old, according to the health ministry.

Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital which received the bodies.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Israel claims it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in densely populated areas.

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World Food Programme stocks in Gaza have run out

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Israel’s ban on UNRWA came into effect in January.

The organisation has faced increased criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who claim the group is deeply infiltrated by Hamas, which UNRWA refutes.

Amir Weissbrod, a foreign ministry official, presented Israel’s case against UNRWA on Monday.

He accused it of failing to act before the war against evidence that Hamas had used its facilities, including by digging tunnels underneath them.

The official said UNRWA employed 1,400 Palestinians with militant ties.

Israel claims some of those employees also took part in Hamas’ attacks on 7 October 2023, with at least three of those employees still allegedly working for the UN.

The presentation included videos, documents and pictures of the alleged employees.

The 7 October 2023 attack in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people and prompted the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza – which the territory’s health ministry says has killed more than 52,000 people.

UNRWA said it fired nine staffers after an internal UN investigation concluded that they could have been involved, although the evidence was not authenticated and corroborated.

The ban does not apply directly to Gaza, but UNRWA is prohibited from operating inside Israel which affects the agency’s ability to function.

Israeli officials claim they are looking for alternative ways to deliver aid to Gaza that would cut out the UN.

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Date set for conclave to decide next pope – here’s how the secretive process works

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Date set for conclave to decide next pope - here's how the secretive process works

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor will begin on 7 May, the Vatican has announced.

Some 135 cardinal electors – those under the age of 80 – will take part and vote for the new pontiff.

The rituals of the event, held in the Sistine Chapel, are elaborate and date back centuries. So how does the process work?

When Pope Francis died, the Catholic Church entered a period known as “sede vacante”, meaning “empty seat”.

His ring and seal – used to dispatch papal documents – were broken to prevent anyone else from using them.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell – the Camerlengo, or chamberlain, who announced Francis’s death – became the interim chief of the Catholic Church.

Cardinals hold their hats during a mass presided by [German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger] in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican April 18, 2005. Cardinals will meet later today in the Sistine chapel for the start of the papal conclave.
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Pic: Reuters

The conclave

Cardinals travel to Rome from all over the world and stay until a new pope is chosen.

Of the 252 current ones, there are 135 cardinal electors: 53 from Europe; 23 from Asia; 20 from North America; 18 from Africa; 17 from South America; and four from Oceania.

Italy has the most cardinals who can vote, with 17, while the US has 10 and Brazil has seven. The UK has three.

Shadows of tourists are cast across a papal crest dedicated to Pope Pius XII on the floor of Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 11, 2013. Roman Catholic Cardinals will begin a conclave on Tuesday to elect the Church's 266th pontiff and a successor to Pope Benedict, who abdicated unexpectedly last month. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION TRAVEL)
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A papal crest dedicated to Pope Pius XII. Pic: Reuters

Once the conclave begins, the cardinals will not emerge from the Vatican until a new pope has been chosen. The word “conclave” comes from Latin, meaning “with key” – a reference to the isolation in which the cardinals are kept.

While holding voting sessions in the Sistine Chapel, they sleep in the Casa Santa Marta – a guesthouse inside the Vatican’s grounds.

The longest conclave lasted almost three years, between 1268 and 1271. Several have lasted only one day. The one which elected Pope John Paul in 1978 lasted less than three days. Cardinals chose Pope Francis in around two days.

While the conclave is ongoing, cardinals are unable to communicate with the outside world. No telephones, internet use or newspapers are allowed.

Except for the first day, when only one ballot is held, the cardinals hold two daily votes until one candidate has a majority of two-thirds plus one. They are sworn to secrecy about the voting.

White smoke?

So how do we know if a decision has been reached? Yes, this is the black smoke, white smoke part.

If the cardinals have not reached a majority, the cards and the tally sheets are placed in a stove and burned with an additive to produce black smoke, showing the outside world that a pope has not yet been chosen.

A statue of an angel is silhouetted in front of black smoke rising from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. A statue of an angel is silhouetted in front of black smoke rising from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, indicating no decision has been made after the first vote for the election of a new pope, April 18, 2005. The 115 eligible cardinals began the papal conclave on Monday evening to elect a new pope following the death of Pope John Paul II. REUTERS/Max Rossi
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No pope yet… black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel. Pic: Reuters

Watching for the tell-tale smoke arising from the top of the Sistine Chapel is a tradition, with Catholics crowding into St Peter’s Square for the spectacle.

If no result has been reached after three days, the sessions are suspended for a day to allow for prayer and discussion. More ballots are held until a two-thirds majority is reached.

When enough cardinals have agreed on a candidate, he is asked if he accepts the papacy and by which name he wishes to be known.

The ballots are burned as before, but with an additive to produce white smoke.

A Papal white skull cap and burgundy shoes are displayed in the Gammarelli's tailor shop window in Rome, April 14, 2005. Cardinals start choosing a new Pope next week, but the successor to John Paul will be all sewn up well before the secret conclave opens. Because the tailor Filippo Gammarelli has no clue as to who the new pope will be, the firm has made three versions of the same silk and wool outfit, in small, medium and large, to clothe the most lean or corpulent cardinal. Picture taken Apri
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A Papal white skull cap. Pic: Reuters

New pope proclaimed

The new pope then dons his new papal vestments – tailors keep large, medium and small sizes ready – and sits on a throne in the Sistine Chapel to receive the other cardinals who file up to pay homage and swear obedience to the church’s new leader.

The senior cardinal deacon then steps out on to the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica overlooking the square and announces in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam” (I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope) and reveals the cardinal’s name and the name he has chosen.

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The new pope then appears on the balcony to deliver his first public pontifical greeting and bless the crowds in St Peter’s Square.

A few days later, he celebrates a mass that marks the beginning of his papal ministry.

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