|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A Tragic Homecoming; Bibas Family Killed in Hamas Captivity – Bodies to Be Returned to Israel
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a deeply sorrowful development, on Tuesday, a Hamas official has announced that the terror group will return the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including the remains of the Bibas family. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has reported that this decision marks the end of a harrowing 16-month ordeal, during which the Bibas family—particularly the two young children, Kfir and Ariel—became a painful emblem of the hostages’ plight.
The release of the Bibas family’s bodies will bring heartbreaking closure to months of protests, advocacy, and prayers by their relatives and supporters worldwide. As reported by the JTA, the family’s story captured global attention when an image emerged of Shiri Bibas, clutching her two sons—then 9 months and 4 years old—as they were abducted into Gaza during Hamas’ brutal October 7, 2023 attack. This tragic image, along with pictures of the red-haired children in happier times, became a symbol of the atrocities committed on that day and the ongoing struggle to secure the release of all hostages.
The JTA report noted that Hamas had previously claimed in November 2023 that Shiri and her two children had been killed, but Israel did not confirm this assertion at the time. Despite the uncertainty, advocates held out hope that the Bibas family was still alive. Over the past year, international efforts, spearheaded by the Hostages and Families Forum, worked tirelessly to pressure for their return. Since the November 2023 ceasefire, Kfir and Ariel had remained the only two children still held in Gaza, further intensifying concerns about their fate.
Anxiety over the Bibas family’s wellbeing escalated in recent weeks as Israel broadcasted “grave concerns” about their condition. The JTA report said that the fears were exacerbated when Hamas admitted that eight of the 33 hostages expected to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire negotiations were, in fact, deceased. Then, on Tuesday, Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya appeared in a prerecorded video confirming that the bodies of four hostages—including those of the Bibas family—would be returned to Israel. Both CNN and the Associated Press, citing JTA sources, confirmed this devastating announcement.
The news was met with anguish by the Bibas family’s relatives, who issued a statement through the Hostages and Families Forum, expressing their turmoil and emphasizing that they had not yet received formal confirmation regarding the fate of their loved ones. As quoted by the JTA, their statement read:
“We want to make it clear that while we are aware of these reports, we have not yet received any official confirmation regarding this matter. Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over.”
The Israeli government has verified that four deceased hostages will be returned on Thursday, followed by the release of six living hostages on Saturday, according to the JTA report. Another four deceased hostages will be repatriated the following week as part of the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement confirming these details but did not specify the identities of the hostages to be released.
While the return of these bodies brings an end to the uncertainty surrounding the Bibas family, it also reinforces the profound human toll of the October 7 attack and the prolonged captivity endured by many hostages. The world now mourns the loss of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas—innocent victims who have become lasting symbols of tragedy, resilience, and the relentless fight for justice.
As Israel and the international community brace for the next phase of hostage releases, the grief over the Bibas family’s fate calls attention to the unbearable pain that so many families have endured since Hamas’ attack.
