The youngest hostages taken by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023, Kfir and Ariel Bibas and their mother, Shiri, are reportedly dead and their bodies will be returned to Israel this week, Hamas has revealed.
According to the New York Post, Israel has not confirmed the deaths of the mother and her two boys, who would now be two and five, respectively, but said it had "grave concerns" about their wellbeing. Kfir was just 9 months old when the Bibas family was taken hostage.
On Thursday, four bodies will be handed over by Hamas, the group’s leader in Gaza, Khalil Al Hayya, said, and six living hostages, some who have been held for over a decade, will be returned on Saturday.
The boys’ father, Yarden Bibas, was released from Hamas’ captivity in early February, per BBC. Hamas claimed in November 2023 that the mother and two children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike but did not provide evidence. The Israeli military has not confirmed the report.
The hostage releases have come as part of a ceasefire that began in mid-January. In exchange for the release of Hamas hostages, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have been released. The sides have not yet negotiated the second phase of the ceasefire, which would see Hamas release dozens of additional hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
