Tragic Fate of Bibas Family Revealed Amid Hostage Release Plans

JERUSALEM, Israel — The tragic fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons was confirmed Wednesday as their bodies are set to be returned to Israel on Thursday. The Bibas family was kidnapped by Hamas militants during a brutal attack on October 7, 2023, which left devastation across the region.

The circumstances surrounding their abduction have been harrowing. Shiri Bibas was last seen in a video that circulated widely on social media, holding her children, Ariel and Kfir, as Hamas fighters took them away. The boys, who were just 4 years old and 9 months old at the time of their capture, have become symbols of the anguish faced by Israeli hostages. Their faces have been painted on walls throughout Israel, calling attention to their plight.

On Tuesday, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya announced plans to return the remains of the Bibas family as part of an agreement with Israel. Alongside them, the bodies of four other hostages, including journalist and activist Oded Lifshitz, are also set to be returned.

The Bibas family lived in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel that suffered greatly during the attack, losing over a quarter of its residents to violence or abduction. Yarden Bibas, the father, was separated from his family and is believed to be in a different location in Gaza, where he remains among the hostages under Hamas custody.

“We received the heart-shattering news that Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz are no longer with us,” said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a volunteer organization dedicated to bringing home Israeli hostages. “They weren’t just names; they were beloved people, with families who cherished them, with dreams and futures stolen from them.”

During a brief ceasefire in November 2023, Hamas released over 100 hostages, mainly women and children, but the Bibas boys were among the few who were not included in that release. The group previously claimed that Shiri and her children had perished in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

In response to the release of remains, an Israeli official stated that the deceased hostages would undergo identification before any names are disclosed to the public.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is organizing a ceremony at 7 p.m. in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, to honor the memory of those lost and support the families of hostages. The ongoing negotiations are part of a broader agreement brokered by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt in January intended to halt the war in Gaza. This deal includes provisions for the return of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as well as a temporary cessation of violence in the area.