Turmoil in Israel after Hamas says bodies of Shiri, Ariel & Kfir Bibas to be returned Thursday

The Israeli public has been in a state of outrage following the announcement on Tuesday night by a senior Hamas leader that the bodies of the Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas would be included in the release of hostages' remains this Thursday.

The statement on Tuesday was the first time a high-ranking member of the Hamas terrorist organization issued a clear statement about the family’s condition. 

Hamas senior official Khalil al-Hayya stated, “We decided to hand over the bodies of the 4 occupation prisoners on Thursday, including the bodies of the "Bibas" family, on the condition that the enemy releases our prisoners on Saturday, February 22, according to the agreement, while the handover of the remaining bodies agreed upon in the first phase will be completed in the sixth week.” 

Following the release of al-Hayya’s statement, the Bibas family released their own statement, denying reports in Israeli and international media that they had received any official confirmation about the deaths of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. 

“In the past few hours, we have been in turmoil following Hamas spokesperson's announcement about the planned return of our Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir this Thursday as part of the hostages' remains release phase,” the statement read.

“We want to make it clear that while we are aware of these reports, we have not yet received any official confirmation regarding this matter. Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over.  We ask the media and the public to respect our privacy and refrain from contacting us about this matter.” 

Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were abducted from their home in Nir Oz at gunpoint after Shiri's husband, Yarden Bibas, left the safe room in an attempt to protect his home from terrorists. The video of Shiri clutching her children as they are dragged away, allegedly by Palestinian residents and not Hamas terrorists, became one of the most watched videos from the Oct. 7 massacres.

Since then, images of Shiri and her two young sons, with their distinctive red hair, have been at the center of international efforts to bring attention to the plight of the hostages in Gaza and to demand their release. 

During Hamas' invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Ariel was 4 years old and Kfir was just 9 months, making them the youngest Israelis to be kidnapped into Gaza.

While the terror group claimed in November 2023 that Shiri and the boys were killed in an Israeli strike, there has been no official confirmation from the Israeli government. Hamas filmed a video of Yarden being informed of their deaths, in which he tearfully begs for their bodies to be returned to Israel. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not confirmed their deaths since then, despite officially confirming the deaths of other hostages.

The Bibas family in Israel feared the worst when Shiri and the boys were not released alive in the first releases of the current hostage-ceasefire deal. The Israeli government also recently demanded that Hamas give proof of the condition of the Bibas family. 

Yarden, who was released at the beginning of February, also pleaded for the return of his family.

Following several reports of the deaths, including from Israeli news sites, the IDF released a statement calling on the Israeli public not to share “unverified rumors.” 

“Over the past hours, unverified rumors regarding the hostages and their families are being spread,” the statement said. “The IDF urges the public to rely only on announcements from official sources and to refrain from spreading rumors that harm the families of the hostages and the public.” 

Israeli social media erupted in outrage after the Hamas announcement, with many accounts calling for the resumption of military activity in Gaza, and some even calling for the forced expulsion of all Palestinians from Gaza.

Shortly after that, in a post to Facebook, Yarden Bibas’ sister Ofri Bibas wrote, “I ask that my family not be eulogized yet. 16 months that we have been hoping and we will not give up hope now. And to all those who demand revenge in our name – there are 73 more kidnapped people who need to be returned. Most importantly and above all.” 

Al-Hayya also stated the names of two Israeli hostages to be released alive this weekend.

“On Saturday, February 22, the remaining 6 prisoners of the occupation who were agreed to be released in the first phase will be released, and some of them will be prisoners Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed, on the condition that the enemy releases our prisoners according to the agreement.”