The funeral for Bibas family––Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir––took place this year on Wednesday, February 26th. Their names have become some of the most familiar in the Israel-Gaza conflict and the reason is tragic. This family became so well known because Kfir, an infant only nine months old, was the youngest hostage taken by Hamas on October 7th.
On October 7, 2023, he was kidnapped, along with his mother and brother, not by Hamas militants, but by Gazans in civilian clothes. His father, who was recently released from captivity, was taken separately. Since their bodies were returned to Israel, horrific details about their murders have emerged.
What Happened to the Bibas Family?
While in captivity, Hamas captors had told Yarden Bibas that his family was killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023. This is a story that Hamas has maintained. However, the autopsy revealed that the only truth in the story was the timeframe.
In November 2023, the three members of the Bibas family were murder by their captors. The murder was carried out, not with any weapon, but by their captors hands. To reiterate the pure evil of this, Hamas murdered a 4-year old and a 10-month old with their bare hands. Afterward, additional atrocities were committed to conceal the evidence.
This is not a matter of inhumanity, and the term “animalistic” cannot adequately describe this heinous act. No words can truly capture the level of evil inflicted upon the Bibas family.
Hamas’ Evil Abounds Beyond the Militants
As with the other released hostages, Hamas prepared a major show for the “event”. The stage contained written propaganda and threats smeared across it, including a grotesque photo depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire.
Hundreds of Gazans attended the event as the coffins containing the children were paraded through the area. Gazan families celebrated and brought their children along. Once the coffins were removed from the stage, Gazan children filled the space.
When I was a child, my family would attend local parades for American Independence Day. Firefighters, police officers, and the local college mascot would march through the crowd, and there was cheering and smiling. This, however, is not what is celebrated and paraded through Gaza.
In Gaza, families bring their children to events that celebrate things so horrific that they make even the most morally conscious person cringe in disbelief—things that Western minds would feel uncomfortable even uttering or writing down.
Hamas Exposed Their Own Inhumanity
The atrocities only continued after the bodies of the hostages were received in Israel. Because of the degree of evil Hamas has exhibited in the past, Israeli authorities took measures to examine the coffins. This was to ensure there were no explosives or booby traps present. Once it was determined that there was no danger in opening the coffins, they discovered the keys that Hamas had given them were incorrect and would not open the coffins. The coffins had an inscription on them reading, “date of arrest” on October 7th.
The coffin of a mother, her 4-year old, and her 9-month old had the date of their kidnapping portrayed as a “date of arrest.”
Finally, after they were able to open the coffins, they found them to be contained with Hamas propaganda leaflets alongside the bodies of the hostages. After examination, it was revealed that Shiri Bibas’ coffin did not actually contain her body, but instead the body of a Gazan woman. Since then, the body of Shiri Bibas has been returned.
A Nation in Mourning for the Bibas Family
The story of the Bibas family resonates deeply with people in Israel and around the world. Countless cities worldwide illuminated their night skies and landmarks with bright orange lights. This is the color that has been associated with the Bibas family because of their distinctive hair. Streets were lined with mourners as Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were finally laid to rest.
This tragedy exposes the true intentions of Hamas—not to fight for freedom, not to establish a Palestinian state, and not for any justifiable cause. The actions displayed on October 7th, through every hostage release, and in the events the Bibas family endured, reveal that Hamas’ only intention is to steal, kill, and destroy. There are no justifications or excuses strong enough to condone these actions. The evil enacted upon this young family is beyond words.
Hamas must be completely removed, from Gaza and beyond, so that horrors like this may never be repeated or experienced by anyone again.
