When Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were not on the list of the names of the captives set to be released on Saturday, “our world caved in on us,” their family said.
By Rachel Avraham
After the release of the four female IDF soldiers, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari told the Times of Israel that Hamas had violated the deal by not first freeing all female civilians and children first. He said Israel would make sure that civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud, who is believed by Israel to be alive, is released soon, along with Shiri Bibas and her two small children, Ariel and the baby Kfir.
When Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were not on the list of the names of the captives set to be released on Saturday, “our world caved in on us,” their family said in an earlier post on Instagram, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Bibas relatives added that hearing that their family members were not on the list for Saturday was earth-shattering despite the fact that they had been prepared for the possibility in advance.
Ofri Bibas, sister of hostage Yarden, sister-in-law of Shiri and aunt of Ariel and Kfir, gave an interview to Reshet Bet, where she proclaimed that this recent period, awaiting the return of her relatives, not knowing in what condition they are in, has been a nightmare for her: “In the last 15 months, I think we’ve reached the hardest, the most tormenting, most painful moment and, unfortunately, I keep on finding out that there’s something worse.”
“From the moment the hostage deal was launched, we knew that it would be long and agonizing weeks until we saw them at home. We are waiting for them here, between the rumors and the messages,” she told Arutz Sheva. “There is no difference between what we knew yesterday and what we know today. They know that there is grave fear for their lives, since Hamas’ announcement at the end of the previous deal. We are not certain of anything and we want to hold on to all hope.”
Bibas referred to the uncertainty regarding the date of her family’s release, given that all of the civilians were supposed to be released first yet were not in the end: “We don’t know when they will be released. It was not decided in advance who would be released every day. Hamas is providing a list. If there are misunderstandings, then there are negotiations about when they will be released.”
She added: “We all need to take a deep breath and be patient, to think before spreading fake news and unverified information. We need information to come from official sources and not from the media and WhatsApp groups. We continue to demand to see them at the end of this stage. We will not let the deal end without Shiri, Yarden, Ariel and Kfir coming home. As far as we’re concerned, we know they were kidnapped alive and we assume they survived there.”
The Times of Israel reported that Israel believes 25 of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first phase are alive. With seven captives already released alive over the past week, this would mean that 18 of the remaining 26 hostages are alive while eight are dead. Among those whose fates are unknown are Shiri Silberman Bibas, her husband Yarden Bibas and their two young sons Ariel and Kfir. IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday that there were “grave concerns” for their lives. In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir had been killed, after the IDF confirmed that Hamas transferred them over to the Mujahadeen Brigades, another armed group in Gaza, following a strong campaign for their freedom.
Nili Margalit, a hostage released during the multi-day ceasefire, related that she and another hostage were approached by Hamas members and ordered to tell Yarden that his family had been killed by IDF bombing. When she refused, the terrorists ordered the other hostage to translate while they told Yarden, and filmed his reaction where he was allegedly coached to blame Netanyahu, the Times of Israel reported.
The IDF has said that the claims made by Hamas regarding the Bibas family have not been verified, described them as “psychological terror,” and noted that terror groups in Gaza had previously announced that an Israeli hostage had been killed in an IDF strike only to release her alive several weeks later, the Times of Israel noted.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas abducted the Bibas family from Kibbutz Nir Oz, including then nine-month-old Kfir, then 4-year-old Ariel, then 32-year-old Shiri and her then 34-year-old husband Yarden. The baby Kfir Bibas was the youngest hostage taken during the October 7 terror attacks. Shiri’s parents, who also lived on the kibbutz, were later on found murdered.
