Hamas handed over the bodies of Kfir Bibas, a 10-month-old infant, and his four-year-old brother, Ariel Bibas, the youngest hostages taken from Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack. Their remains, along with those of two other Israeli hostages, were received by the Red Cross before being transported to Israel in a solemn and emotional procession.
The return of the bodies has reignited grief and anger in Israel, where citizens lined the roads in the rain to pay their respects. In Tel Aviv, mourners gathered in Hostages Square outside Israel’s defense headquarters, expressing their sorrow. Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the nation’s heartbreak as “agony and pain beyond words,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “eliminate” Hamas in response.
Hamas had previously claimed in November 2023 that the Bibas brothers and their mother, Shiri, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israeli authorities had not confirmed their deaths. The boys’ father, Yarden Bibas, was returned in a hostage exchange earlier this month. The family’s abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where nearly a quarter of the community was either killed or kidnapped, has become one of the most symbolic tragedies of the ongoing war.
The transfer of the bodies was marked by controversy. Armed Hamas militants staged the handover, standing beside a poster that depicted coffins wrapped in Israeli flags, with an inscription warning that more Israeli prisoners would return in coffins if the war continued. The United Nations’ human rights chief, Volker Turk, condemned the “abhorrent and cruel” display, emphasizing that international law demands dignity and respect for deceased individuals and their families.
The bodies were scanned for explosives before being transported to Israel, highlighting the deep mistrust between the two sides. The handover is part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, under which Hamas is expected to release six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, primarily women and minors, held by Israeli forces.
With over 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken on October 7, and more than 48,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign, the region remains in turmoil. Negotiations for a second phase of the hostage agreement are set to begin soon, with discussions focusing on the release of approximately 60 remaining hostages and a potential full Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
