Baerbock says pain of killed hostages is almost unbearable

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed relief at the release of six Israeli hostages by Hamas.

“But relief & joy are once again met with terrible scenes of weakened people being paraded on a stage,” Baerbock wrote on X on Saturday.

“Since early this morning we have also had sad certainty about the fate of Shiri Silberman Bibas,” Baerbock added. “The Hamas terrorists are responsible for her death and that of her two small children, Kfir and Ariel. I am thinking of the family, their pain is almost unbearable.”

The mother and her two children also had German citizenship.

Second phase is still pending

Baerbock warned that the second phase of the hostage release must now be achieved. “The lives of the remaining hostages are at stake – among them are still Germans.” The Germans released so far were German-Israeli dual nationals.

Negotiations for the release of the last hostages and a final end to the war have not yet begun.