Bibas family to hold private funeral for slain hostages Shiri, Ariel and Kfir

Shiri Bibas, along with her two young sons Ariel and Kfir will be laid to rest on Wednesday in a private ceremony in Zohar close to their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, their family announced Monday.

The bodies of the children, who were Hamas’s youngest hostages at just four and nine months old respectively, were returned to Israel last week following a widely-condemned handover ceremony in Khan Younis.

The remains of their mother were supposedly returned at the same time, but forensic analysis revealed that the body was that of an unidentified woman and not Shiri. Hamas released the correct body a few days later, blaming a mix-up, but Israel has accused the group of violating its obligations under the ceasefire deal.

The Bibas family intends to share a route for the funeral procession so that the public can pay their respects prior to the burial after the trio became a symbol of hostage suffering when footage of their abduction emerged on October 7.

A statement posted on social media reads: " The warm embrace, the love and the strength that you have sent us from all over Israel and the world strengthen us and accompany us during these moments of crisis,” the family said in a statement on social media. “We are aware that many of you want to be there, to pay your respects, to express your love and to say your goodbyes together with us.”

While the family requests privacy, they added that efforts would be made to livestream the eulogies for those unable to attend.

No government minister will attend the funeral at the request of the family, according to the Walla news agency.

It follows confirmation from IDF officials that Shiri and her children were “brutally” murdered by their captors in November 2023, contrary to Hamas’ claim that they died in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023.

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari described the boys' killings as “cold-blooded,” committed by their captors with “bare hands”, claiming that the bodies were mutilated to cover up the evidence. Yarden Bibas, the boy’s father who was released several weeks ago, asked for the world to “know and be horrified” by the murders.

Meanwhile, Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden’s sister, said on Sunday that, although the public's support is moving, Yarden is struggling to process the tragic news.

She shared that their emotions shifted quickly from "huge joy" over Yarden's return to "deep sadness and shock" after learning of the murders. "Yarden wonders how Shiri would respond to all of this, and Shiri is not here to go through it with him," she said.

She also conveyed Yarden’s wish to tell the public: “You don’t need to apologise. The forgiveness should come, first and foremost, in the return of all the hostages.”

This was seemingly a reference to the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet comitted to entering the second phase of the hostage deal, despite public pressure.

This phase would see the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for the IDF’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, a proposal that has drawn backlash from Netanyahu’s right-wing allies.

At a military ceremony on Sunday, the Prime Minister held up a photo of Shiri and her children, saying it was a reminder of “what we are fighting for, and whom we are fighting against.” The gesture led to protests in the audience, with some shouting, “Why didn’t you get them out?”

The Bibas family’s heartbreaking story has evoked an outpouring of grief, and tributes have poured in from around the world. Landmarks in Israel and across the globe have been illuminated in orange to honour Ariel and Kfir, who had red hair.

Argentina declared two days of mourning for the boys, who were dual Israeli-Argentine nationals. 

Kibbutz Nir Oz, a close-knit community of 400, was devastated during the October 7 attack, with one in every four members either killed or taken hostage. The community has since been relocated to Kiryat Gat, in southern Israel.

In a poignant moment at a recent rally, the mother of one of Ariel’s classmates shared how her son Yoav struggled to understand that his friend would never return. “Yoav said that maybe they liked Ariel so much, because he’s so funny, that it was hard for the terrorists to let him go,” she recalled. “I had to explain to Yoav that whoever dies can’t come back to life.”