Kidnapping and killing of the Bibas family
{{Short description|Kidnapped Israeli family in the 7 October attack}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{infobox civilian attack
| title = Kidnapping and killing of the Bibas family
| partof = the Gaza war hostage crisis
| image = Shiri Bibas and children kidnapped - Hamas Body cam photo.jpg
| caption = Shiri Bibas holding her two young children during the kidnapping. Photo is a still from a body cam of one of the kidnappers.
| location = Nir Oz, Israel (kidnapping)
Gaza Strip (killing of Shiri and two children)
| date = 7 October 2023 (kidnapping){{efn|Yarden Bibas was kidnapped first and his wife and children were kidnapped later in the day by a different group of militants.}}
November 2023 (killing of Shiri and two children)
| type = Kidnapping and killing
| fatalities =
| accused = Lords of the Desert,{{cite news | title= דובר צה"ל: "משפחת ביבס נחטפה על ידי ארגון בשם 'אדוני השממה'. חמאס אחראי לגורלם" |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/hjmorgwna |access-date=23 August 2024 |work=Ynet | date= 19 February 2024 |language=he |trans-title=IDF spokesman: "The Biebs family was kidnapped by an organization called 'Lords of the Desert.' Hamas is responsible for their fate" 20.02.24 |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926195852/https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/hjmorgwna | url-status=live}} Mujahideen Brigades, and Hamas{{cite news |last=Frantzman |first=Seth J. |title=Which Palestinian terror group took the Bibas family hostage? - analysis |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=21 February 2025 |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-843197 |access-date=25 February 2025 |archive-date=22 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222162907/https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-843197 |url-status=live }}
}}
During the Nir Oz attack, part of the 7 October 2023 attacks that began the Gaza war, Palestinian militants kidnapped the Bibas ({{langx|he|בִּיבָּס|rtl=yes}}) family from their home at the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=Released Oct. 7 Footage Shows the Abduction of the Bibas Family by Hamas |url=https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/idf-press-releases-israel-at-war/february-24-pr/released-oct-7-footage-shows-the-abduction-of-the-bibas-family-by-hamas/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250201203740/https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/idf-press-releases-israel-at-war/february-24-pr/released-oct-7-footage-shows-the-abduction-of-the-bibas-family-by-hamas/ |archive-date=1 February 2025 |access-date=1 February 2025 |website=www.idf.il}}{{Cite news |title=Video shows the kidnapping of Shiri Silberman-Bibas and her children by Hamas gunmen |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/video/video-shows-hamas-gunmen-kidnap-shiri-silberman-bibas-and-her-children-194724933949 |work=NBC News |access-date=29 January 2024 |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019233812/https://www.nbcnews.com/video/video-shows-hamas-gunmen-kidnap-shiri-silberman-bibas-and-her-children-194724933949 |url-status=live}} The family, which held multiple citizenship of Israel, Argentina, and Germany,{{Cite news |last=Mendeluk |first=Michelle |date=25 February 2025 |title=Buenos Aires Jews hold massive demonstration on behalf of Bibas family |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/buenos-aires-jews-hold-massive-demonstration-on-behalf-of-bibas-family/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225155758/https://www.timesofisrael.com/buenos-aires-jews-hold-massive-demonstration-on-behalf-of-bibas-family/ |url-status=live }} comprised 34-year-old Yemenite Jew Yarden ({{langx|he|יַרְדֵּן|label=none|rtl=yes}}), his 32-year-old wife Shiri ({{langx|he|שִׁירִי|label=none|rtl=yes}}; née Silberman), and their sons, 4-year-old Ariel ({{langx|he|אֲרִיאֵל|label=none|rtl=yes}}) and 9-month-old Kfir ({{langx|he|כְּפִיר|label=none|rtl=yes}}).{{Cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Barney |date=15 October 2023 |title=Family share heartbreaking footage of nine-month-old baby and four-year-old boy who were abducted by Hamas |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/boys-hamas-gaza-missing-video-b2430081.html |access-date=2 December 2023 |work=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203194320/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/boys-hamas-gaza-missing-video-b2430081.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last1=Sinmaz |first1=Emine |last2=McKernan |first2=Bethan |date=22 November 2023 |title=Families of hostages in Gaza wait to see if relatives among those freed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/families-of-gaza-hostages-wait-to-see-if-relatives-among-those-freed |access-date=3 December 2023 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |archive-date=2 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202043657/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/families-of-gaza-hostages-wait-to-see-if-relatives-among-those-freed |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=hersh |date=19 February 2025 |title=The Bibas Family |url=https://aish.com/the-bibas-family/ |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Aish |language=en-US}} All four family members were held hostage in the Gaza Strip. Yarden Bibas was abducted separately from his wife and children and held by Hamas, while Shiri Bibas and her children were reportedly held by another militant group, the Mujahideen Brigades. Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the two youngest hostages taken from Israel on 7 October, came to be regarded as symbols of the Gaza war hostage crisis.{{Cite news |last1=Boxerman |first1=Aaron |last2=Kershner |first2=Isabel |date=18 February 2025 |title=Two Tiny Captives, Symbols of Hostage Crisis, to Go Home Dead, Hamas Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/bibas-bodies-death-hamas-israel-exchange.html |access-date=22 February 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=23 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223120851/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/bibas-bodies-death-hamas-israel-exchange.html |url-status=live}}
Shiri Bibas's parents, José Luis (Yossi) Silberman and Margit Shnaider Silberman, were both killed in the Nir Oz attack.{{Cite news |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |last2= |first2= |title=Forensics chief confirms ID of body of Shiri Bibas, no evidence she died in explosion |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/forensics-chief-confirms-id-of-body-of-shiri-bibas-no-evidence-she-died-in-explosion/ |access-date=24 February 2025 |work=Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=23 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223032935/https://www.timesofisrael.com/forensics-chief-confirms-id-of-body-of-shiri-bibas-no-evidence-she-died-in-explosion/ |url-status=live }} In late 2023, Hamas said that Shiri Bibas and her children had been killed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. On 30 November 2023—the last day of the 2023 Gaza war ceasefire—it offered to return their bodies and release Yarden Bibas, but Israel refused, demanding that all living female hostages be released first.{{Cite news |date=1 December 2023 |title=Hamas says offered to hand over remains of hostage baby, family |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231201-hamas-says-offered-to-hand-over-remains-of-hostage-baby-family |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220003507/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231201-hamas-says-offered-to-hand-over-remains-of-hostage-baby-family |archive-date=20 February 2025 |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=France 24 |language=en}} Israel did not confirm the deaths of Shiri Bibas and her sons, but expressed grave concerns over their welfare.{{Cite news |title=4 female soldiers freed by Hamas, paraded on Gaza stage, returned to Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/four-female-soldier-hostages-freed-by-hamas-paraded-on-stage-returned-to-israel/ |access-date=25 January 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125135718/https://www.timesofisrael.com/four-female-soldier-hostages-freed-by-hamas-paraded-on-stage-returned-to-israel/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |date=25 January 2025 |title=Bibas family: 'World came crashing down' when Shiri, kids weren't slated for release |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bibas-family-world-came-crashing-down-when-shiri-kids-werent-slated-for-release/ |access-date=25 January 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125184206/https://www.timesofisrael.com/bibas-family-world-came-crashing-down-when-shiri-kids-werent-slated-for-release/ |url-status=live}} As part of the 2025 Gaza war ceasefire, Hamas released Yarden Bibas alive on 1 February 2025, after he had spent 484 days in captivity.{{Cite web |last=Krever |first=Mick |last2=Kottasová |first2=Ivana |last3=Al Sawalhi |first3=Mohammed |last4=Khadder |first4=Kareem |last5=Lilieholm |first5=Lucas |last6=Szekeres |first6=Edward |date=2025-02-20 |title=Hamas stages macabre ceremony to release bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include Bibas children and their mother |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-release-bibas-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226152509/https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-release-bibas-intl-hnk/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=1 February 2025 |title=החטופים חוזרים לארץ: תיעוד רגעי האיחוד עם המשפחות |url=https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/2025_q1/Article-c9eb2f187d0c491026.htm?sCh=31750a2610f26110&pId=173113802 |access-date=1 February 2025 |website=N12}} On 20 February, it handed over coffins that it said contained the bodies of his wife and sons.{{Cite news |first1=Sarah |last1=Sirgany |first2=Kareem |last2=Khadder |first3=Mick |last3=Krever |date=18 February 2025 |title=Hamas says it will release bodies of four hostages, including Bibas children, on Thursday and six living hostages on Saturday |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/18/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-to-release-bibas-family-intl/index.html |access-date=18 February 2025 |work=CNN |language=en |archive-date=18 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250218162349/https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/18/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-to-release-bibas-family-intl/index.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |title=Hamas releases the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including mother and young sons |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5301687/hamas-israel-hostage-bodies-release |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=NPR |archive-date=20 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220170143/https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5301687/hamas-israel-hostage-bodies-release |url-status=live}} Israel verified the remains of Ariel and Kfir Bibas through DNA testing, but accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement after finding that the female remains did not match Shiri Bibas or any other Israeli hostage still held by Hamas.{{Cite news |last1=Minsberg |first1=Talya |last2=Rasgon |first2=Adam |date=21 February 2025 |title=Israel Confirms Body Returned by Hamas Is Shiri Bibas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-shiri-bibas.html |access-date=22 February 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=22 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222113946/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-shiri-bibas.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last1=Wright |first1=George |last2=Moench |first2=Mallory |date=21 February 2025 |title=Israel says forensics show Bibas children killed by captors |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjry3jzedl1o |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=21 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221002013/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjry3jzedl1o |url-status=live}} Hamas handed over another body on the evening of 21 February,{{Cite news |title=Red Cross says it transferred body received from Hamas to Israeli authorities |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/red-cross-says-it-transferred-body-received-from-hamas-to-israeli-authorities/ |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |archive-date=22 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222153911/https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/red-cross-says-it-transferred-body-received-from-hamas-to-israeli-authorities/ |url-status=live}} which DNA testing confirmed as that of Shiri Bibas. Argentina held two days of national mourning.{{Cite news |date=21 February 2025 |title=Two days of national mourning for Bibas brothers in Argentina |url=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentina-to-observe-two-days-national-mourning-for-bibas-brothers.phtml |access-date=24 February 2025 |work=Buenos Aires Times |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222094902/https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentina-to-observe-two-days-national-mourning-for-bibas-brothers.phtml |url-status=live }} To mark the funeral of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas on 26 February, buildings and monuments around the world were illuminated in orange, the colour of the boys' hair.{{Cite web |date=27 February 2025 |title=Global landmarks turn orange to honor Bibas family |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/404576 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Israel National News |archive-date=27 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227123634/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/404576 |url-status=live }} Shiri Bibas and her sons were buried alongside her parents in Tsoher Regional Cemetery, near their former home.{{Cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Jessica |date=26 February 2025 |title=Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas buried in a single casket: 'They will remain together' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/shiri-ariel-and-kfir-bibas-buried-in-a-single-casket-they-will-remain-together/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=26 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226160028/https://www.timesofisrael.com/shiri-ariel-and-kfir-bibas-buried-in-a-single-casket-they-will-remain-together/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Borger |first=Julian |date=26 February 2025 |title=Thousands of Israelis line streets for funeral of Bibas family killed in Gaza |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/26/israelis-line-streets-for-funeral-of-bibas-family-killed-in-gaza |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Estrin |first=Daniel |date=26 February 2025 |title=Israelis hold a mass funeral for Shiri Bibas and her two sons killed in Gaza |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/02/26/nx-s1-5307878/israel-bibas-funeral-gaza |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=NPR |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226113108/https://www.npr.org/2025/02/26/nx-s1-5307878/israel-bibas-funeral-gaza |url-status=live }}
Hamas and Israel have made conflicting statements about the cause of death for Shiri Bibas and her children. Hamas said that they were killed by an Israeli airstrike in November 2023, but did not provide any evidence to support its claims.{{Cite news |last1=Boxerman |first1=Aaron |last2=Reiss |first2=Johnatan |date=21 February 2025 |title=Hamas Didn't Return the Body of Shiri Bibas. What Now? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-shiri-bibas.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221154819/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-shiri-bibas.html |archive-date=21 February 2025 |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Neither Israel nor Hamas has yet presented evidence for public scrutiny.}} The Israeli government said that forensic evidence indicated that they were killed by their captors, and that their corpses were mutilated to simulate injuries from a bombing. Israel said it had shared evidence with its international partners.{{cite news |last=Lukiv |first=Jaroslav |date=22 February 2025 |title=Israel confirms Shiri Bibas body has been returned |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw20d3l4jpo |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=BBC News |archive-date=25 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225081940/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw20d3l4jpo |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=22 February 2025 |title=Shiri Bibas's body returned to Israel; officials assess she was 'brutally' murdered with sons in Gaza |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/kibbutz-nir-oz-announces-shiri-bibas-was-murdered-in-gaza-captivity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222045721/https://www.timesofisrael.com/kibbutz-nir-oz-announces-shiri-bibas-was-murdered-in-gaza-captivity/ |archive-date=22 February 2025 |access-date=22 February 2025 |work=Times of Israel |language=en-US}} Hamas accused Israel of fabricating "baseless lies". Neither Israel nor Hamas has released evidence of their claims to the public.
Abduction
{{More|Nir Oz attack}}File:Bibas home 3.jpg
Prior to the attack, the family had considered moving to the Golan Heights because they were tired of living in constant fear of rocket attacks due to their proximity to Gaza.{{Cite news |date=25 October 2023 |title=Taken captive: Yarden and Shiri Bibas, and their redheaded babies |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/taken-captive-yarden-and-shiri-bibas-and-their-redheaded-babies/ |access-date=12 December 2023 |work=The Times of Israel |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203194321/https://www.timesofisrael.com/taken-captive-yarden-and-shiri-bibas-and-their-redheaded-babies/ |url-status=live}} Shiri Bibas's parents, José Luis (Yossi) Silberman and Margit Srehnaider Silberman, both in their 60s, had moved to Israel from Peru in the 1970s. Yossi Silberman was originally from Argentina. {{cite news |title=Hamas set to free Israeli father in latest Gaza hostage release |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-hostages-hamas-palestinians-b2689827.html |work=The Independent |language=en |date=31 January 2025 |access-date=31 January 2025 |archive-date=31 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131143340/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-hostages-hamas-palestinians-b2689827.html |url-status=live}}
On the day of the attack, Yarden Bibas texted his sister, Ofri Bibas Levy, from the family's safe room to update her on the fighting at and around the Nir Oz kibbutz.{{Cite magazine |last=Campoamor |first=Danielle |date=20 October 2023 |title='Those Pictures Do Not Leave My Mind' |url=https://www.thecut.com/2023/10/she-found-out-hamas-took-her-relatives-via-social-media.html |access-date=13 December 2023 |magazine=New York Magazine |series=The Cut |language=en |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213193658/https://www.thecut.com/2023/10/she-found-out-hamas-took-her-relatives-via-social-media.html |url-status=live}} At around 6:30 a.m., he sent a message mentioning rocket fire, and then stated that the militants had entered the kibbutz. He expressed concern that his children did not know how to keep quiet. Militants gained entrance to the Bibas home by drilling open the front door. At about 9:45 a.m., Yarden Bibas texted "They're in", shortly after having texted "I love you" to his family.
Yarden Bibas had reportedly hesitated to use the gun in the home due to the number of militants with automatic weapons.{{Cite news |date=16 October 2023 |title=Release of two more hostages gives some hope to families of others abducted in the attack on Israel |url=https://apnews.com/article/hostages-israel-hamas-war-what-to-know-406920c384818fa4fe3525327adf3f50 |access-date=13 December 2023 |work=AP News |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212143516/https://apnews.com/article/hostages-israel-hamas-war-what-to-know-406920c384818fa4fe3525327adf3f50 |url-status=live}} He left the safe room, reportedly in an effort to distract the militants and save his wife and children. He was then captured separately from the rest of his family.{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Jessica |date=4 February 2025 |title=Family of freed hostage Yarden Bibas: He asks about wife and sons, we have no answers |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/family-of-freed-hostage-yarden-bibas-he-asks-about-wife-and-sons-we-have-no-answers/ |publisher=The Times of Israel}}
Media footage of the kidnapping was circulated online, including a video of Shiri Bibas holding her redheaded children in her arms, looking terrified as militants surrounded them. Separate images showed Yarden Bibas, bleeding from the head, being taken away on a motorcycle.{{Cite news |last=Sinmaz |first=Emine |date=29 November 2023 |title=Hamas says 10-month-old hostage Kfir Bibas was killed in Israeli bombing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/29/hamas-says-10-month-old-hostage-kfir-bibas-was-killed-in-israeli-bombing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204162111/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/29/hamas-says-10-month-old-hostage-kfir-bibas-was-killed-in-israeli-bombing |archive-date=4 December 2023 |access-date=5 December 2023 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Shiri Bibas's parents, the Silbermans, were killed during the attack on the kibbutz, and their bodies were not identified until 21 October.{{Cite news |date=26 October 2023 |title=Margit & Yosi Silberman: Killed, 9-month-old grandson captured |work=The Times of Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/margit-and-yosi-silverman-killed-while-9-month-old-grandson-captured/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030203005/https://www.timesofisrael.com/margit-and-yosi-silverman-killed-while-9-month-old-grandson-captured/ |archive-date=30 October 2023}}
Israel said that Shiri Bibas and her sons had been kidnapped by a Palestinian crime gang from Khan Younis called "Lords of the Desert".{{Cite news |last=Shaulov |first=Roni Green |date=19 February 2025 |title=The heart of an entire country is breaking: Bodies of Kfir, Ariel and Shiri Bibas and Oded Lifshitz are coming home |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1zwpqxcjl |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=Ynetnews |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221000719/https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1zwpqxcjl |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Harel |first=Amos |title=As Netanyahu Considers Escalating the Gaza Cease-fire Crisis, Israeli… |work=Haaretz |date=23 February 2025 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-02-23/ty-article/.premium/as-netanyahu-considers-escalating-the-cease-fire-crisis-israelis-shouldnt-count-on-trump/00000195-2f63-d09e-a3ff-7f6bf18f0000| archive-url=https://archive.today/20250223092037/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-02-23/ty-article/.premium/as-netanyahu-considers-escalating-the-cease-fire-crisis-israelis-shouldnt-count-on-trump/00000195-2f63-d09e-a3ff-7f6bf18f0000#selection-1309.158-1309.334 |archive-date=23 February 2025 |access-date=25 February 2025 |quote=The three members of the Bibas family were kidnapped by a crime gang from the Khan Yunis area, which hid under an ostensibly operational name, Lords of the Desert. The link between Hamas and this group is not hierarchical or binding. The [handing over the wrong body] could have been a result of chaos, or of deliberate deception by the group. As soon as it was discovered, Hamas hurried to return the mother's body the next morning... The findings of the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine only intensify the horror: the kidnappers murdered the children with their bare hands.}} Israel expressed concern that they had been transferred to a different armed group within Gaza, the Mujahideen Brigades of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement.{{cite news |date=1 January 2024 |title=IDF: Hamas abducted Bibas family, including baby, handed them to another terror group |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-hamas-abducted-bibas-family-including-baby-handed-them-to-other-terror-group/ |work=Times of Israel |access-date=2 January 2024 |archive-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102005704/https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-hamas-abducted-bibas-family-including-baby-handed-them-to-other-terror-group/ |url-status=live}}
Following his abduction, Yarden Bibas reportedly asked his captors on numerous occasions about his wife and children. In one instance his captors told Yarden Bibas that his family had evaded capture and had been spotted in Tel Aviv. In another case, his captors demanded that another hostage tell him that his family had died. Hamas filmed Yarden Bibas breaking down upon hearing this and criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu.{{Cite news |date=5 January 2024 |title=Ex-hostage watched Hamas captors tell Yarden Bibas of family's 'fate' while filming |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-hostage-watched-hamas-captors-tell-yarden-bibas-of-familys-fate-while-filming/ |access-date=8 January 2024 |work=The Times of Israel |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107102325/https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-hostage-watched-hamas-captors-tell-yarden-bibas-of-familys-fate-while-filming/ |url-status=live}} A couple of months after his release, Yarden Bibas told Leslie Stahl in an interview for 60 Minutes that after informing him of the death of his wife and children, his captors would repeatedly tell him "Oh, doesn't matter. You'll get a new wife. Get new kids. Better wife. Better kids."{{cite news|title=Freed Israeli hostages campaign for new ceasefire with Hamas, call for return of captives from Gaza|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/freed-israeli-hostages-call-for-ceasefire-with-hamas-return-of-gaza-captives-60-minutes-transcript/|authorlink=Lesley Stahl|first=Leslie|last=Sthal|date=March 30, 2025|publisher=CBS News}}
Efforts to release
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| header = Israelis taking up the cause of the Bibas family
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| caption1 = A protestor in front of the private residence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog recreating the still image from the bodycam video.{{efn|The text on the cardboard reads "Where are Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas?"}}
– August 2024
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| caption2 = Israeli President Isaac Herzog displaying a picture of Kfir Bibas on his birthday during the World Economic Forum – January 2024
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– December 2023
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On 7 October 2023, the deputy chief of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, said that Palestinians had abducted Israelis so they could force Israel to release thousands of Palestinians (including 200 women and children) in Israeli custody.{{Cite news |date=7 October 2023 |title=Hamas says it has enough Israeli captives to free all Palestinian prisoners |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/7/hamas-says-it-has-enough-israeli-captives-to-free-all-palestinian-prisoners |access-date=8 February 2025 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=7 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007163709/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/7/hamas-says-it-has-enough-israeli-captives-to-free-all-palestinian-prisoners |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |title=Why Hamas took so many people hostage — and how that complicates Israel's response |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-1.6991077 |work=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=8 February 2025 |archive-date=10 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010190517/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-1.6991077 |url-status=live}} On 9 October, Hamas offered to release all civilian hostages in exchange for Israeli army not entering Gaza, but the Israeli government rejected the offer.{{Cite news |last=Allon |first=Gideon |title='No doubt' Netanyahu preventing hostage deal, charges ex-spokesman of Families Forum |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-doubt-netanyahu-preventing-hostage-deal-charges-ex-spokesman-of-families-forum/ |access-date=8 February 2025 |work=Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925230750/https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-doubt-netanyahu-preventing-hostage-deal-charges-ex-spokesman-of-families-forum/ |url-status=live}} On 17 October 2023, a Hamas official said it would release all civilian (but not military) hostages in exchange for Israel ending the bombing of the Gaza Strip.{{Cite news |date=17 October 2023 |title=Hamas expresses willingness to release some captive women and children |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/hamas-expresses-willingness-release-captive-women-children-rcna120776 |access-date=8 February 2025 |work=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214194201/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/hamas-expresses-willingness-release-captive-women-children-rcna120776 |url-status=live}} On 19 October, Human Rights Watch criticized Hamas for conditioning the release of Israelis upon Israel's release of Palestinians, arguing "civilians, including children ... should never be treated as bargaining chips."{{Cite web |date=19 October 2023 |title=Hamas, Islamic Jihad: Holding Hostages is a War Crime |work=Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/19/hamas-islamic-jihad-holding-hostages-war-crime |access-date=8 February 2025 |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020003656/https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/19/hamas-islamic-jihad-holding-hostages-war-crime |url-status=live}}
On 22 November 2023, Israel agreed to release 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, in exchange for Hamas agreeing to release 50 Israeli women and children.{{Cite web |title=Israel, Hamas agree to temporary ceasefire deal where hostages, prisoners will be exchanged |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-hamas-hostages-deal-1.7033147 |access-date=8 February 2025 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204065328/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-hamas-hostages-deal-1.7033147 |url-status=live }} Shiri Bibas and her children were expected to be released, but were not released. On 29 November, Hamas' armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, claimed that Shiri Bibas and her children had been killed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza.{{Cite news |last1=Minsberg |first1=Talya |date=29 November 2023 |title=Fears Grow Over Fate of Bibas Family in Gaza |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/world/middleeast/bibas-family-israel-gaza.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203050134/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/world/middleeast/bibas-family-israel-gaza.html |archive-date=3 December 2023 |access-date=3 December 2023 |work=The New York Times}} Israel said that Hamas's claims were unverified and could be part of their psychological warfare.{{Cite news |last1=Kourdi |first1=Eyad |last2=Diamond |first2=Jeremy |last3=Michaelis |first3=Tamar |date=29 November 2023 |title=Israel assessing Hamas claim youngest hostage and family members are dead |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/middleeast/kfir-babas-israel-hamas-gaza-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180139/https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/middleeast/kfir-babas-israel-hamas-gaza-intl/index.html |archive-date=7 December 2023 |access-date=6 December 2023 |work=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Emanuel |date=29 November 2023 |title=IDF investigating 'cruel' Hamas claim that Bibas children, mother killed in Gaza |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-investigating-cruel-hamas-claim-that-bibas-children-mother-killed-in-gaza/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202061459/https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-investigating-cruel-hamas-claim-that-bibas-children-mother-killed-in-gaza/ |archive-date=2 December 2023 |work=The Times of Israel}}{{Cite news |title=The Bibas family remains captive in Gaza. A nation hopes against hope for their return |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-bibas-family-remains-hostages-in-gaza-a-nation-hopes-against-hope-for-their-return/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131071919/https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-bibas-family-remains-hostages-in-gaza-a-nation-hopes-against-hope-for-their-return/ |archive-date=31 January 2025 |access-date=30 January 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
On 30 November 2023, Hamas offered to release Yarden Bibas along with the bodies of his wife and sons. This offer was confirmed by Israeli officials and Arab diplomats.{{Cite news |last=Peled |first=Anat |title=The Redheaded Bibas Children, the Youngest Hostages in Gaza, Aren't Coming Home Alive |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-redheaded-bibas-children-the-youngest-hostagesin-gaza-arent-coming-home-alive-685f127d |url-access=subscription |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=19 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219155437/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-redheaded-bibas-children-the-youngest-hostagesin-gaza-arent-coming-home-alive-685f127d |url-status=live}} Israel refused, demanding that living female hostages be returned before the dead bodies. On the same day, Hamas also claimed that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas had been killed by Israeli airstrikes before the truce went into effect. The IDF responded that "Hamas is wholly responsible for the security of all hostages".
A cousin of the Bibas family requested to speak with US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to petition them for help in the release of the family. He also mentioned that they were working with the Argentinian government to help petition for the release of the family.{{Cite news |last=Friedson |first=Felice |date=7 December 2023 |title=Bibas family cousin pleads to meet with world leaders |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777044 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211211120/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777044 |archive-date=11 December 2023 |access-date=12 December 2023 |work=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}} In early December 2023 per Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, all Israeli embassies and consulates either lit their buildings in orange or displayed images of the family. The display was supposed to coincide with the first lighting of Hanukkah candles.{{Cite news |date=7 December 2023 |title=Israeli missions worldwide illuminate in orange for Bibas family |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777175 |access-date=12 December 2023 |work=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211202555/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777175 |url-status=live}}
Around Kfir Bibas's first birthday in January 2024, family members celebrated his (18 January) birthday and raised awareness for the family still reportedly held as hostages. Hundreds of people gathered at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate Kfir Bibas and his family with a performance by Israeli children's music stars and wore orange to symbolize the two children's hair.{{Cite news |last=Lidman |first=Melanie |date=18 January 2024 |title=As the youngest Israeli hostage turns 1, his family pleads for a deal to release more from Gaza |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza-kfir-bibas-birthday-490c428ef168655c9028dd612a15a35a |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=AP News |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214011544/https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza-kfir-bibas-birthday-490c428ef168655c9028dd612a15a35a |url-status=live}} Kfir Bibas's picture was also displayed next to Israeli President Isaac Herzog while he spoke at the World Economic Forum that same week.{{Cite news |last1=Kottasová |first1=Ivana |last2=Krever |first2=Mick |date=18 January 2024 |title=Kfir Bibas: Family marks first birthday of the youngest hostage in Gaza |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/middleeast/kfir-bibas-first-birthday-youngest-hostage-in-gaza-intl/index.html |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=CNN |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214011544/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/middleeast/kfir-bibas-first-birthday-youngest-hostage-in-gaza-intl/index.html |url-status=live}} On 19 February, the Israeli military released a video which purportedly showed members of the Bibas family in the Khan Younis area.{{Cite news |date=20 February 2024 |title=Israeli Military Releases Videos It Says Shows Bibas Family Members in Captivity on Oct. 7 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/middleeast/bibas-family-israel-hamas-gaza.html |access-date=21 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221204944/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/middleeast/bibas-family-israel-hamas-gaza.html |url-status=live}}
In August 2024, during the Redhead Days Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, which is known for celebrating people with auburn hair, members of the Bibas family urged participants to spotlight the Bibas children and to raise awareness about their continued time as hostages.{{Cite web |last=Weissman |first=Miri |date=27 August 2024 |title=Bibas family implore Netherlands ginger festival to 'remember your redheaded brothers' |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/08/23/bibas-family-implore-netherlands-redhead-festival-to-remember-your-redheaded-brothers/ |access-date=17 December 2024 |website=Israel Hayom |archive-date=19 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219162805/https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/08/23/bibas-family-implore-netherlands-redhead-festival-to-remember-your-redheaded-brothers/ |url-status=live}}
Release and return of bodies
On 28 January 2025, a group supporting the family asked for the public to wear orange in honor of the family.{{Cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Jessica |date=28 January 2025 |title=Initiative urges public to dress in orange tomorrow to honor Bibas family hostages |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/initiative-urges-public-to-dress-in-orange-tomorrow-to-honor-bibas-family-hostages/ |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=10 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210065136/https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/initiative-urges-public-to-dress-in-orange-tomorrow-to-honor-bibas-family-hostages/ |url-status=live}} Israeli officials asked on 29 January that Hamas provide more information on the condition of Shiri Bibas and the two children.{{Cite news |last=Stein |first=Amichai |date=29 January 2025 |title=Israel demands Hamas provide info on Bibas family's wellbeing |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-839829 |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |archive-date=31 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131165511/https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-839829 |url-status=live}}
=Release of Yarden Bibas=
File:Release of Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel, February 1, 2025, February 2025. XXXII..jpg: "I thank all the People of Israel for their support and help. I heard from my family that you fought for me, and want to say many thanks. I deeply appreciate it. It's not self-evident. Happy birthday, Grandpa!"}} – February 2025]]
Hamas released Yarden Bibas on 1 February, as part of the fourth round of releases in the 2025 Gaza war ceasefire agreement. He had spent 484 days in captivity. He had lost {{convert|15|kg|lb}} since his abduction. He told Israeli authorities that he had been starved and not given any food on some days. He reported that he had mostly been held in isolation in an underground cell, rarely seeing sunlight. He was allowed to meet other hostages only during meals. He requested to be held with an old friend that he met during his time in captivity, but his request was denied.
After Yarden Bibas's release, the Bibas family issued a statement saying that "a quarter of our heart has returned... but the home remains incomplete".{{Cite news |last1=Moench |first1=Mallory |last2=Cuddy |first2=Alice |date=2 February 2025 |title='I don't know how he survived', says freed Israeli hostage's niece |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78xeg7xn55o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250202202220/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78xeg7xn55o |archive-date=2 February 2025 |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} His family thanked the Israeli public for its support and concern, saying that although he had lost a significant amount of weight, he was in good spirits and physically stable.{{Cite news |date=2 February 2025 |title=Yarden Bibas's family says he 'lost significant weight' in captivity but is in stable condition |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/yarden-bibass-family-says-he-lost-significant-weight-in-captivity-but-is-in-stable-condition/ |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
=Return of the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas=
The status of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas was unclear at the time of Yarden Bibas's release, although they had not been included in earlier releases that prioritized living women and children.{{Cite news |last1=Beaumont |first1=Peter |last2=Graham-Harrison |first2=Emma |last3=Kierszenbaum |first3=Quique |date=31 January 2025 |title=Hamas to release Israeli father amid 'grave concerns' for wife and children |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/31/hamas-to-release-israeli-hostage-yarden-bibas-wife-children-family |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} On 18 February, a Hamas spokesperson announced that the bodies of four hostages, including the remaining members of the Bibas family, would be released on 20 February, as part of the seventh round of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.{{Cite news |last=Pomeroy |first=Gabriela |date=18 February 2025 |title=Hamas says it will return bodies of four hostages including Bibas family |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdnp4ly5d1o |access-date=18 February 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=20 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220020349/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdnp4ly5d1o |url-status=live}}
On 20 February, Hamas released four bodies, reported to be of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, and a fourth hostage, Oded Lifshitz, who had also been kidnapped during the Nir Oz attack.{{Cite news |last=Berman |first=Lazar |date=21 February 2025 |title=IDF: Remains of Kfir and Ariel Bibas identified, but 3rd body sent by Hamas is not their mother Shiri |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-remains-of-kfir-and-ariel-bibas-idd-3rd-body-sent-by-hamas-isnt-their-mom-shiri/ |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last1=Krever |first1=Mick |last2=Kottasová |first2=Ivana |last3=Lilieholm |first3=Lucas |last4=Szekeres |first4=Edward |date=20 February 2025 |title=Hamas hands over bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include Bibas children and their mother |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-release-bibas-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=CNN |language=en |archive-date=20 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220203350/https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/hamas-israel-hostages-release-bibas-intl-hnk/index.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Bohbut |first=Amir |date=21 February 2025 |title=הגופה נבדקה שוב ושוב, אך לא נמצאה התאמה: ההפרה המחרידה של חמאס, מאחורי הקלעים |trans-title=The body was examined repeatedly, but no match was found: Hamas' horrific violation, behind the scenes |url=https://news.walla.co.il/item/3728957 |access-date=21 February 2025 |website=Walla.co.il |language=he}} The handover was performed as a two-step process, with the first step being a handover of coffins from Hamas to the Red Cross, and the second involving a handover from the Red Cross to the IDF. In the first step, the four coffins were brought to a stage in Khan Yunis, wrapped in black with labels bearing the deceased family members' names and pictures. They were placed before a poster that portrayed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire, with the four deceased superimposed. The poster blamed Netanyahu and Israel for their deaths. In the second step, a rabbi conducted a ceremony upon receipt of the coffins and they were transported into Israel draped in Israeli flags. Israeli citizens lined the roads near the Gaza border to watch the convoy and pay their respects, as well as gathering in Hostages Square.{{Cite news |last=McKernan |first=Bethan |date=20 February 2025 |title='One of the hardest days' in Israel as Hamas hands over hostages' bodies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/20/israel-gaza-hamas-hands-over-hostages-bodies |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |date=20 February 2025 |title=Bodies believed to be of 4 slain hostages brought to Israel, 503 days after they were taken alive |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bodies-of-four-slain-hostages-brought-to-israel-503-days-after-they-were-taken-alive/ |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
Israel screened the coffins through metal detectors to ensure they were not booby-trapped.{{cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/shocking-reason-why-coffins-of-4-israeli-hostages-including-2-bibas-children-were-passed-through-metal-detectors-101740070208129.html |title=Shocking reason why coffins of 4 Israeli hostages, including 2 Bibas children, were passed through metal detectors |first=Sumanti |last=Sen |date=February 20, 2025 |publisher=Hindustan Times}} Upon opening the coffins, investigators reportedly discovered Hamas propaganda, which Israel considered "a desecration of the sanctity of the dead". Israel filed a complaint with Egypt, Qatar and the United States, who helped negotiate the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.{{cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-put-propaganda-material-in-hostages-coffins-israel-fumes-to-mediators-report/ |title=Hamas put propaganda material in hostages' coffins, Israel fumes to mediators — report |date=20 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel}} The four bodies were taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for identification.{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Michael |date=20 February 2025 |title=Bodies of Bibas boys returned to Israel in tragic end for youngest Oct. 7 hostages |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/02/20/bibas-hamas-youngest-hostages-returned-israel-ceasefire/77741136007/ |access-date=20 February 2025 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}} Israel forensically confirmed the bodies of Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Lifshitz, but it also confirmed that the fourth body did not match Shiri Bibas or any other Israeli hostage held by Hamas. Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement by returning a body that was not that of Shiri Bibas.{{cite news |date=21 February 2025 |title=Israeli PM Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-pm-netanyahu-says-hamas-will-pay-not-returning-shiri-bibas-2025-02-21/ |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite news |date=21 February 2025 |title=Shiri Bibas: Hamas failure to return body is new ceasefire setback |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgznx04kgko |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221182021/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgznx04kgko |archive-date=21 February 2025 |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Hamas acknowledged the possibility of a mistake, adding that corpses had been "mixed up" due to Israeli bombings. Hamas acknowledged "seriousness and full commitment to all our obligations" and said it remained committed to compliance. It asked Israel to return the body of the Palestinian woman that had been inside the coffin marked as Shiri Bibas.{{Cite news |title=No interest in 'keeping any bodies' of Israeli captives: Hamas |url=https://aje.io/so8o1c?update=3526876 |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=Al Jazeera}}{{Cite news |title=Hamas says it will probe allegations over Shiri Bibas's remains, asks Israel to return body of Gazan woman|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-says-it-will-probe-allegations-over-shiri-bibass-remains-asks-israel-to-return-body-of-gazan-woman/|access-date=21 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel}} It handed over Shiri Bibas's remains separately the following day.
The Bibas children were the last Israeli children held by Hamas, and Shiri Bibas was the last Israeli woman held by Hamas whose death had not been confirmed by Israel.{{efn|The bodies of three other women were still held by Hamas at the time that Shiri's body was returned to Israel: Judith Weinstein, Ofra Keidar, and Inbar Hayman. Israel had declared that Weinstein and Keidar died on the day of their abduction, with Hayman having died in captivity.}}{{Cite web |date=17 January 2025 |title=Here are the hostages set to be released (and left behind) in Israel-Hamas deal's first phase |url=https://jweekly.com/2025/01/17/here-are-the-hostages-set-to-be-released-and-left-behind-in-israel-hamas-deals-first-phase/ |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=Jweekly |language=en-US |first=Philissa |last=Cramer |archive-date=3 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250203093805/https://jweekly.com/2025/01/17/here-are-the-hostages-set-to-be-released-and-left-behind-in-israel-hamas-deals-first-phase/ |url-status=live }}
== Cause of death ==
Hamas and Israel have made conflicting claims about the deaths of Shiri Bibas and her children. Hamas, which claims that they died in an Israeli airstrike, has not provided any evidence to substantiate its claims.{{Cite web |date=21 February 2025 |title=Middle East latest: Netanyahu says body Hamas released was a woman from Gaza, not a hostage |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/religion-news/middle-east-latest-netanyahu-says-body-hamas-released-was-a-woman-from-gaza-not-a-hostage-10265780 |access-date=21 February 2025 |website=Times Colonist |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Tawfeeq |first=Mohammed |date=20 February 2025 |title=Israel says Shiri Bibas is not among bodies returned from Gaza, Hamas pledges to investigate |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/israel-bibas-boys-among-dead-hostages-not-shiri-intl-latam/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221035636/https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/middleeast/israel-bibas-boys-among-dead-hostages-not-shiri-intl-latam/index.html |archive-date=21 February 2025 |access-date=22 February 2025 |work=CNN |language=en}} Following the return of the remains, Israel stated that a forensic analysis showed that Ariel and Kfir Bibas had been killed with “bare hands” in November 2023. Israel stated that Shiri Bibas had been "brutally murdered" together with her children, and that the corpses had been mutilated to make it appear as if they died in a bombing. Israel stated that it had shared evidence of these claims with its international partners, but it did not publicly release the evidence. Hamas described the Israeli claims as "baseless lies".
Ofri Bibas Levy, sister of Yarden Bibas, criticized Netanyahu and other government officials for publicly sharing graphic details from the autopsy report. In a social media post on 25 February, the day before the funeral of her sister-in-law and nephews, she told Netanyahu to "shut up," calling his statements “outright abuse of a family that has already been enduring hell for 16 months.”{{Cite web |last=Knell |first=Yolande |date=2025-02-26 |title=Bibas family funerals: Israelis pay last respects to hostage mother and sons killed in Gaza |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg178g4nrwo |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=27 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227013805/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg178g4nrwo |url-status=live }} The Bibas family sent a cease-and-desist letter to Israeli government officials, demanding that they stop publicly disclosing details of the deaths beyond those already approved by Yarden Bibas.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Bibas family tells Netanyahu to 'shut up,' as he details the murders of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bibas-family-tells-netanyahu-to-shut-up-as-he-details-the-murders-of-shiri-ariel-and-kfir/ |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=26 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226094515/https://www.timesofisrael.com/bibas-family-tells-netanyahu-to-shut-up-as-he-details-the-murders-of-shiri-ariel-and-kfir/ |url-status=live }}
= Funeral of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas =
File:Bibas Funeral Procession 260225 02.jpg
{{ill|Bibas family funeral|lt=The funeral of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas|he|הלוויית משפחת ביבס}} took place on 26 February 2025. Thousands of Israelis lined the route of the funeral procession, which began at a funeral home in Rishon LeZion in central Israel and ended at Tsoher Regional Cemetery in southern Israel, near the kibbutz where the Bibas family lived. Eulogies were broadcast on Israeli television, streamed over the Internet, and shown on large screens in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square. In a private ceremony, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were buried in a single casket. They were laid to rest alongside Shiri Bibas's parents.{{Cite news |title='Sorry I couldn't protect you': Israel mourns Bibas mother, sons |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250226-israelis-mass-for-funeral-of-bibas-hostages-killed-in-gaza |access-date=26 February 2025 |publisher=France 24 |archive-date=26 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226142827/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250226-israelis-mass-for-funeral-of-bibas-hostages-killed-in-gaza |url-status=live }}
On the day of the funeral, monuments around the world—including the Empire State Building, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Chain Bridge in Budapest—were illuminated in orange as a tribute to the deceased.{{Cite news |first=Joanie |last=Margulies |title=Empire State Building, other int'l landmarks light up orange in honor of Bibas family |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-843927 |access-date=27 February 2025 |date=27 February 2025 |work=The Jerusalem Post}}{{Cite news |first= Philissa |last= Cramer |title= Empire State Building, Brandenburg Gate lit in orange to honor slain Bibas family |url= https://forward.com/fast-forward/699859/empire-state-building-brandenburg-gate-lit-in-orange-to-honor-slain-bibas-family/ |date= 27 February 2025 |publisher= The Forward |archive-date= 28 February 2025 |access-date= 27 February 2025 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250228132246/https://forward.com/fast-forward/699859/empire-state-building-brandenburg-gate-lit-in-orange-to-honor-slain-bibas-family/ |url-status= live }}
Public responses
{{Quote box
|quote = [W]e are appalled and horrified by their [Hamas's] desecration of the remains of Shiri Bibas. This is a gruesome scene, and we join the people of Israel in mourning the loss of several members of the Bibas family. Kfir was not even a year old when he was taken, along with his four-year-old brother Ariel. They were cruelly murdered by Hamas.
|author = Dorothy Shea, United States Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to the United Nations
|source = 25 February 2025 remarks delivered to the UN Security Council Briefing
|width = 40%
}}Following the release of the bodies of Ariel and Kfir, Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, issued a statement saying that the "hearts of an entire nation line in tatters" and spoke directly to the deceased stating that he bowed his head and asked for forgiveness in not protecting them or bringing them home safe.
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, declared two days of national mourning beginning on 20 February following the return of the bodies, as the Bibas children held Argentine citizenship. Sabrina Ajmechet, president of the Argentinian Commission for Human Rights, wrote: "Two Argentinian babies assassinated because of Hamas terrorism. I hope that never again, after this, I have to hear that what happens in Israel and Gaza is not our concern, of all Argentines".{{Cite news |date=19 February 2025 |title=Argentina's Milei to decree a national day of mourning for the Bibas brothers |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-842897 |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |archive-date=19 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219215759/https://www.jpost.com/international/article-842897 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |date=21 February 2025 |title=Argentina to observe two days national mourning for Bibas brothers |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250221-argentina-to-observe-two-days-national-mourning-for-bibas-brothers |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=France 24 |language=en}}
Buenos Aires council member Yamil Santoro proposed renaming "Palestine Street" to "Bibas Family Street". President Milei expressed support for the proposal, but others suggested renaming a park, rather than Palestine Street, as a tribute to the Bibas family.{{cite news |last=Margulies |first=Joanie |date=22 February 2025 |title=Argentina debates renaming 'Palestine Street' to 'Bibas Family Street' |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-843275 |work=The Jerusalem Post}}
The Arab-Israeli group Atidna condemned Hamas following the murders of Shiri Bibas and her two children, describing the crime as "an act of barbarism that has no justification". The group called on Arab-Israeli political leaders to denounce terrorism, emphasizing, "At such a crucial moment, silence is not an option—our duty as leaders and as a society is to speak out clearly and firmly against murder and terror". It declared that it would participate in the Bibas family funeral procession, stating, "We will declare in one united voice: No to terror, no to murder, yes to life and humanity".{{Cite news |date=23 February 2025 |title=Arab-Israeli group Atidna condemns Hamas for Bibas family murders |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-843434 |access-date=24 February 2025 |work=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |archive-date=23 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223230914/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-843434 |url-status=live }}
On 25 February 2025, during a United Nations Security Council address, Dorothy Shea, the acting ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, condemned Hamas for murdering Shiri Bibas and her children and mishandling Shiri Bibas's body.{{cite web |url=https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-the-situation-in-the-middle-east-45/ |date=25 February 2025 |title=Remarks delivered to the UN Security Council Briefing |access-date=25 February 2025 |archive-date=25 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225201235/https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-the-situation-in-the-middle-east-45/ |url-status=live }}
In response to a question about whether Hamas was responsible for the deaths of the children, Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, responded "would there have been Hamas and, in particular, the attacks of the 7th, if there had not been an illegal occupation and an illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for decades?", suggesting that those were the reasons for the deaths.{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-844136|title='Bibas family not murdered, Hamas has legitimate cause,' claims Rima Hassan|first=Mathilda|last=Heller|date=February 28, 2025|publisher=The Jerusalem Post|archive-date=28 February 2025|access-date=28 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228144148/https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-844136|url-status=live}}
Art inspired by the case
Street art in Israel
{{gallery|mode=packed
|File:Bibas family - Bring them Home (cropped).jpg|Whole family, street art in Tel Aviv
|File:Walls of Hope 251123 11 Kfir Bibas.jpg|Kfir Bibas, street art in Tel Aviv
|File:Walls of Hope 251123 12 Ariel Bibas.jpg|Ariel Bibas, street art in Tel Aviv
|File:101902 the cry of the kidnapped PikiWiki Israel.jpg| Shiri with her two children, street art in Haifa
|File:Bibas kids graffiti in Ashdod.jpg|Bibas children, street art in Ashdod
|File:111919 graffiti in kiryat hamalacha, tel aviv PikiWiki Israel.jpg|Kfir Bibas during his first birthday, street art in the {{ill|Kiryat Hamelacha|he|קריית המלאכה}} neighborhood of Tel Aviv
}}
{{gallery|mode=packed
|File:Hostages and Missing Square Kikar Hahatufim Art installations 62.jpg|A sculpture recreation of the still photo taken from the body cam of one of the kidnappers during the kidnapping
|File:100620 tel aviv - the kidnapped and missing square PikiWiki Israel.jpeg|Shiri holding her two children on a display by the World Zionist Organization at Hostage Square.{{efn|Translation of the text on the display: "Freedom, as I believe, is the main purpose of life" —Menachem Begin from a speech titled "Freedom" (also the name of his political party) at a large public gathering on 27 August 1950}}
|File:100621 tel aviv - the kidnapped and missing square PikiWiki Israel.jpeg|Kfir Bibas behind bars{{efn|The text under the painting is the same quote by Menachem Begin as in the photo to the left.}}
|File:Bibas family.jpg|A table at a coffee shop at Habima Square set as reserved for the Bibas family
|File:Bibas-Funeral-0007.jpg|A banner with a painting of Shiri and the children on display on the day of their funeral{{efn|Translation of text on banner:
Rishon LeZion is sharing in the pain of seeing Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Z"L on their final journey.}}}}
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}