Israel on Wednesday wept as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli woman Shirin Bibas, and her sons, four-year-old Ariel Bibas and nine-month-old Kfir Bibas, were among the list of the dead hostages. Their remains will be handed over to Israel on Thursday.
The atrocious and bestial kidnapping by terrorists of Shiri Bibas together with her two babies by terrorists. October 7th 2023#NeverForgive #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/L0DurFUef3
— 🇮🇱 Reuven Azar (@ReuvenAzar) February 20, 2025
Shirin, her kids and her husband Yarden Bibas were abducted from their home in kibbutz Nir Oz. Yarden was separated from his family on arrival in Gaza. The poignant images of Shirin Bibas clutching her two sons had unwittingly become the icon of Israelis taken hostages on the October 7 attack. A video had shown how Shirin, terrified and confused, cradling her sons as armed militants surrounded them. Though Hamas stated in late 2023 that the family had been killed during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, IDF released another video on February 19, 2024, showing Shirin and her children alive in Southern Gaza.
Though Israel did not confirm that she and her sons were dead, it said there were "grave concerns" over their well-being. In November 2023, Hamas published a video of Yarden Bibas being told his wife and children had been killed. The concerns mounted after Hamas released all other children abducted to Gaza. In November 2023, during the first ceasefire in the war, Hamas released dozens of children among more than 100 total hostages who went free.
However, Israel hasn't acknowledged that the family died in the airstrikes.
How did they die?
Hamas claims Shirin and her boys died in an IDF air strike on Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. In the video, Yarden is seen breaking down as the Hamas men inform him of his family's death. He was released after the ceasefire came into place.
The militant group had claimed that it had tried to release Shiri, Kfir and Ariel's bodies as part of the first ceasefire at the end of 2023, but that Israel wouldn't accept them.
