Hamas announced on Tuesday that its youngest hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged 2 and 5, along with their mother are dead and their bodies will be returned to Israel this week. Kfir, who was just nine months old and never celebrated a birthday in freedom, was taken hostage on October 7, 2023 along with his mother, Shiri, father, Yarden, and his older brother, Ariel.
While Israel has not officially confirmed the deaths of the boys and their mother, they expressed deep concern for their safety. A video of the kidnapping showing Shiri wrapping her two little boys in a blanket as armed men led them away, had gone viral.
Tragic End
Yarden, the father of Kfir and Ariel, was released by Hamas earlier this month. The Bibas family said in a statement that they were aware of Hamas' claims. "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."
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said in a pre-recorded message on Tuesday that four hostages' bodies would be returned on Thursday, including members of the Bibas family. He also announced that six living hostages would be freed on Saturday but did not provide further details.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the six hostages set for release on Saturday are Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham Al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu.
They are the last remaining captives to be freed as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
So far, hostage releases have been carried out in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, negotiations for the second phase, which would involve Hamas releasing more hostages in return for a long-term ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, have yet to take place.
The Final Phase
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed on Tuesday that an agreement was reached with Hamas in Cairo to expedite the release of Israeli hostages over the weekend. However, no specific names were disclosed.
An Israeli official stated that said hostages would undergo identification in Israel before their names were made public.
According to Netanyahu's office, Hamas will now release six living hostages, up from the originally planned three. Also, four bodies of deceased hostages will be returned on Thursday, with another four expected next week.
Initially, three hostages were set to be freed on Saturday, but it remains unclear why Hamas changed the plan.
An Israeli official told the Associated Press that Netanyahu had approved the entry of mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza to help residents returning to their communities and trying to rebuild after 15 months of conflict.
Last week, Hamas threatened to delay the release of hostages, citing Israel's refusal to permit these supplies, along with other alleged breaches of the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire, which began in mid-January, has paused the most intense fighting ever between Israel and Hamas. It has also allowed a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, facilitated the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians, and led to an Israeli military withdrawal from much of the region.
