By: Fern Sidman
Thousands of Israelis gathered along the funeral route of Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri Bibas, a mother and her two young children who were held hostage and murdered in captivity in Gaza. As reported by The Guardian of the UK, the national outpouring of grief reflected the deep scars left by the October 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing hostage crisis, even as diplomatic efforts to reinstate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas intensified. The funeral procession, which began in Rishon LeZion and ended in the town of Tzohar near the Gaza border, drew mourners waving Israeli flags and yellow banners—symbols of solidarity with the hostages and their families.
Amid the tragedy, The Guardian of the UK reported that Israeli officials and Hamas negotiators reached an agreement to exchange the bodies of additional hostages for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The swap was expected to take place later on Wednesday, though tensions remained high following delays in previous exchanges. The Bibas family’s bodies were handed over last week by Hamas, which claimed that Israeli airstrikes had killed them. However, according to The Guardian of the UK, an Israeli autopsy concluded that Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 ½ months, had been brutally and sadistically murdered by their Hamas captors, with their bodies mutilated to simulate bomb-inflicted wounds. The findings deepened the anguish of the family and fueled further outrage over Hamas’s treatment of hostages.
The funeral, held privately in Tzohar, was attended by close relatives, while thousands of Israelis lined the streets to pay their respects. As the report in The Guardian of the UK noted, Shiri and her children were buried next to her parents, who were among the hundreds killed when the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists attacked Nir Oz and other Israeli communities on October 7, 2023. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of the two children, had also been taken hostage but was released under a previous ceasefire deal earlier this month—only to learn that his wife and sons had been killed.
Israel National News reported that at the funeral Yarden Bibas eulogized his family. Of this beloved wife Shiri, he said: “I remember the first time I said ‘mi amor’ to you. It was at the very beginning of our relationship. You told me to only call you that if I was certain I loved you, not to say it carelessly. I didn’t say it then because I didn’t want you to think I was rushing to say, ‘I love you.’ Shiri, I’ll confess to you now that I already loved you back then when I said ‘mi amor.'”
“Shiri, I love you and will always love you! Shiri, you are everything to me! You are the best wife and mother there could be. Shiri, you are my best friend. Mishmish, who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you?
“Do you remember our last decision together? In the safe room, I asked if we should ‘fight or surrender.’ You said fight, so I fought. Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all. If only I had known what would happen, I wouldn’t have fired.
“I think about everything we went through together — there are so many beautiful memories. I remember Ariel and Kfir’s births. I remember the days we would sit at home or in a café, just the two of us, talking for hours about everything under the sun. It was wonderful. I miss those times deeply.
“Your presence is profoundly missed. I want to tell you about everything that’s happening in the world and here in Israel. Shiri, everyone knows and loves us — you can’t imagine how surreal all this madness is. Shiri, people tell me they’ll always be by my side, but they’re not you. So please stay close to me and don’t go far! Shiri, this is the closest I’ve been to you since October 7th, and I can’t kiss or hug you, and it’s breaking me!
“Shiri, please watch over me… Protect me from bad decisions. Shield me from harmful things and protect me from myself. Guard me so I don’t sink into darkness. Mishmish, I love you!
“Chuki, Ariel, You made me a father. You transformed us into a family. You taught me what truly matters in life and about responsibility. The day you were born, I matured instantly because of you. You taught me so much about myself, and I want to thank you. So thank you, my beloved.
“Ariel, I hope you’re not angry with me for failing to protect you properly and for not being there for you. I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute. I hope you’re enjoying paradise. I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh with your silly jokes and impressions. I hope there are plenty of butterflies for you to watch, just like you did during our picnics. Chuki, be careful when you climb down from your cloud not to step on Toni…
“Teach Kfir all your impressions and make everyone laugh up there. Ariel, I love you ‘the most in the world, always in the world,’ just as you used to tell us.
“Poopik, Kfir, I didn’t think our family could be more perfect, and then you came and made it even more perfect… I remember your birth. I remember during the delivery when the midwife suddenly stopped everything — we were frightened and thought something was wrong — but it was just to tell us we had another redhead. Mom and I laughed and rejoiced.
“You brought more light and happiness to our little home. You came with your sweet, captivating laugh and smile, and I was instantly hooked! It was impossible not to nibble on you all the time.
“Kfir, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better, but I need you to know that I love you deeply and miss you terribly! I miss nibbling on you and hearing your laughter. I miss our morning games when mom would ask me to watch you before I went to work. I cherished those little moments so much, and I miss them now more than ever! Kfir, I love you the most in the world, always in the world! I have so many more things to tell you all, but I’ll save them for when we’re alone.”
INN also reported that Dana Silberman Sitton, Shiri’s sister and aunt to Kfir and Ariel told the mourners at the funeral, “Baz, Lulu, and Purpur. For a whole year I’ve been preparing myself for this moment, but nothing could truly prepare me adequately for saying goodbye to you. Baz has been Shiri’s nickname since we were children. I’ve already shared how much we looked forward to becoming aunts. Shiri and I decided that when we had children, they couldn’t call us by our first names — only ‘aunt!’ And so it was.”
“Lia, Alon, and Erez were blessed with an aunt like no other, caring, loving, and protective. Shiri and I grew up in a home filled with love, compassion, and understanding. Dad and Mom raised us to be strong women, to love others and respect differences. When we were children, I was the annoying sister; Shiri was always the innocent and sweet one. Shiri wanted to clean the table — I would lie on it. Shiri wanted to watch television — I would suddenly feel compelled to dance in front of it.
“I admit I tormented her a bit and always waited for her reaction. ‘Why don’t you get back at me?’ I would ask. And Shiri would say, ‘Wait until I’m older, then I’ll get you back.’ A few years ago, I reminded her that I was still waiting… When our children came along, I told her about their antics and she said, ‘See? Now they’re getting you back for everything you did to me.’
“When Shiri and I would pick up the children from kindergarten, we would go straight to Mom and Dad’s house. We’d open the door, and they would immediately rush to hug and kiss their grandchildren and whisk them away. Shiri and I would look at each other and say, ‘Well, it seems we’re unnecessary here.’ That’s how deeply they loved their grandchildren — with such special love. Now Baz, you’re here beside them, with them, so I’m not worried.
“My Lulu, a little redhead with a mischievous laugh, playful yet gentle, small but wise. I was privileged to be your aunt for only four years, But they were four years of being a proud aunt! I’ll miss you so deeply, I’ll miss our shared dinners with Lia, Alon, and Erez at Grandpa and Grandma’s house, eating pizza from Grandpa’s special recipe. I’ll miss your walk, like a little man, your laughter, your kind eyes, and your sweet hugs.
“Purpur, sadly, I only had 9 months to cherish you. It wasn’t difficult to fall in love with you immediately, smiling and pure, and a redhead too — you didn’t disappoint. You were both my beloved, special, and one-of-a-kind nephews! You’ll be in our hearts for eternity and forever present in our lives.”
The fragile ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been repeatedly strained. The Guardian of the UK reported that over the weekend, the ceasefire was nearly derailed after Israel’s security cabinet delayed the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners in response to Hamas staging public propaganda events during the handover of hostages. In retaliation, Hamas threatened to break off mediation efforts and canceled the scheduled return of four hostage bodies.
Despite these tensions, a breakthrough was announced on Wednesday, with a senior Hamas official confirming that there would be no public ceremony for the latest exchange. Israeli officials, citing reports from Egyptian mediators, also confirmed to The Guardian of the UK that a deal had been reached to continue swapping hostage bodies for Palestinian detainees, though they emphasized that the process would be carried out in stages.
As Israel mourns the Bibas family, the question of how to balance military objectives with efforts to bring home the remaining hostages continues to divide the country. The report in the Guardian of the UK noted that while many Israelis support the government’s efforts to dismantle Hamas, there is also growing pressure on Netanyahu to prioritize negotiations over further military escalation. The fate of those still in captivity remains uncertain, and the deep wounds inflicted by this war show no signs of healing.
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