On Thursday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, marking the first such release since the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Among the deceased are Shiri Bibas, 32, and her young children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, who were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, more than 16 months ago. The release also includes the body of 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who, alongside his wife, was kidnapped from the same kibbutz.
The Bibas children have become symbols of the horrific violence that unfolded on October 7, with their image often seen at protests and in campaigns worldwide. A poignant photo of Kfir holding a pink elephant toy and smiling has become an emblem of their tragic fate. Ariel, a Batman fan, was often pictured with his long red hair and pacifier, his innocence captured at the height of the violence.
Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were featured in a video that showed them being abducted by militants, a chilling moment that highlighted the brutality of the attacks. Hamas had previously claimed that the Bibas family died in an Israeli airstrike, though Israel never confirmed these deaths. The Bibas family’s father, Yarden, was released in January 2025 after 484 days in captivity, and has since called for continued efforts to bring all hostages home.
The handover ceremony in Khan Younis was marked by an emotional moment, with four black caskets placed on stage as a backdrop of Arabic, Hebrew, and English slogans stood behind them. Red Cross representatives oversaw the transfer, with the bodies to be examined for final identification at the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.
While Hamas released a video in which Yarden blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his family’s death, it was widely believed that he was speaking under duress. The Bibas family’s distress was further compounded by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, which, without their approval, released the names of the deceased to the public. The family has requested that no eulogies be made until full confirmation is provided.
The Bibas family’s story, and the tragic loss of these innocent lives, continues to capture global attention, underscoring the emotional toll of the ongoing conflict in Gaza as well as Israel.
