Return of Shiri Bibas and Her Children: A Tragedy Shaking Israel

A Family Abducted and Killed in Captivity

On October 7, 2023, Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel (4 years old) and Kfir (8 months old), were abducted from their home near the Gaza Strip, an event that garnered worldwide attention. After 16 months of uncertainty, Hamas returned Shiri Bibas’s body to Israeli authorities on Friday, February 21, 2025. Her family confirmed her identity and announced that she had been killed in captivity along with her two children.

In a statement, the Bibas family declared: “Last night, our Shiri came home. After the identification process, we received the dreaded news this morning: our Shiri was killed in captivity.” They added: “For 16 months, we sought certainty, and now that we have it, it brings no solace.”

Escalating Tensions and Hostage Exchanges

Initially, Hamas handed over the bodies of the two children, Ariel and Kfir, the previous Thursday, but their mother’s body was not included, causing a shockwave in Israel. The Israeli military stated that the two boys were killed “with bare hands” while in captivity in Gaza. Hamas, on the other hand, claimed that Shiri Bibas and her children were killed in November 2023 during an Israeli airstrike.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Hamas for this “cruel and evil violation” of the ceasefire agreement, following the initial handover of an incorrect body. He vowed to punish Hamas and to bring back all Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced the release of six living Israeli hostages, scheduled for the following Saturday, as part of an exchange for 602 Palestinian detainees. This exchange is part of the first phase of the ongoing ceasefire agreement in Gaza, although the truce remains fragile.

These events have heightened tensions in the region, as the families of the hostages and the Israeli public express grief and anger over the fate of the captives and Hamas’s actions.