Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, wrote to António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, on Friday insisting that the Security Council convene an emergency session in response to “the findings on the heinous murders of Kfir, Ariel and Shiri Bibas.”
“Hamas murdered 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir with their bare hands and mutilated their bodies as early as November 2023,” Danon stated. “Hamas also blatantly violated the agreement when, instead of returning their mother Shiri, it returned an anonymous body.”
“The murder of Ariel, Kfir and Shiri, Hamas’s conduct in releasing them when they held a grotesque ceremony to return the bodies and their violation of the hostage release agreement—these are all reminders that Hamas is a barbaric and vile terrorist organization,” the Israeli envoy added. “I demand that the Security Council convene urgently, condemn Hamas and designate it a terrorist organization.”
Writing in the letter to Guterres, Danon cited Hamas’s “contempt for their obligations and for basic human decency,” in addition to its “complete disregard for international law and any basic standards of morality and humanity.”
“They did not only fail to uphold the terms of the agreement,” he wrote, “they mocked it, turning a solemn exchange into another opportunity for cruelty and manipulation. This cannot and must not be tolerated. Hamas must be held accountable for this flagrant breach of trust and for their continued exploitation of hostages.”
Washington, London, Paris and Athens have joined the Israeli request, and the session is expected to take place on Monday or Tuesday, according to the Israeli mission to the global body in New York.
