Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri Bibas are being returned to Israel. Yarden Bibas, 35, who was kidnapped on October 7 and endured unimaginable horrors, learned 20 days after his return to Israel that his beloved wife, Shiri, and their two young, red-haired sons - Ariel, five, and Kfir, two - were killed after being taken by Hamas terrorists. Their remains will now be brought back to Israel, and it is time for both their family and the entire country to grieve.
In the coming days, Yarden will face an unbearable ordeal: burying his entire family. His eldest son, his baby, and his wife. For over 500 days, he prayed that the horrific message he was given by Hamas terrorists while being held captive in Gaza, that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir had been killed, was false. But fate delivered a different ending.
This is one of those tragedies where private grief becomes a national one. A harrowing image of Shiri desperately trying to shield her two children in her arms while surrounded by ruthless terrorists has become one of the most haunting symbols of the day everything collapsed.
On the morning of October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz. They reached the Bibas family home, broke through the locked door using drills and equipment they had brought, and entered the reinforced safe room where the four were hiding. Yarden sent real-time updates to his family, writing, "It feels like the end." He tried to protect his family with his weapon but was overpowered.
Images from his abduction show him sitting on a motorcycle between two terrorists, wounded and bleeding from his head, while one of the kidnappers holds a bloodstained hammer. Meanwhile, Hamas terrorists swarmed around Shiri as she clung to Ariel and Kfir, her face frozen in terror as they were all taken hostage.
At the end of November, the first hostage release deal began. According to the agreement, all children, mothers, and some young women were set to be freed. Many had hoped and prayed to see the names of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir on the daily lists of those released. But their names never appeared. A total of 80 hostages were returned to Israel as part of that deal.
During the negotiations, Hamas claimed that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir had been killed in an "Israeli attack," but they failed to provide any proof or images, as they had done with other hostages.
That same day, the IDF announced that its representatives had informed the Bibas family of Hamas' statement and were supporting them during this difficult time. However, they also emphasized that the military was still assessing the credibility of the information. Even on the 500th day of the war, there was no definitive answer.
A year ago, the IDF spokesperson released parts of a video showing Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir on the day they were kidnapped, being led through the streets of Khan Younis, surrounded by Hamas terrorists from the so-called "Holy Warriors" brigade. The footage shows the mother and her children wrapped in a large blanket to conceal their identities before being placed inside a vehicle.
At the time, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said, "Based on the intelligence we have, we are gravely concerned for their well-being."
On February 1, Yarden Bibas returned to Israel after being held captive by Hamas for nearly 500 days. Alongside him, hostages Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel were also released.
He was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center and discharged after ten days. Upon his release, his family stated, "The road to recovery is still long, and it will not be complete until Shiri, Ariel, Kfir, and all the hostages come home."
