Yarden Bibas visited the graves of his wife Shiri and sons Ariel and Kfir on Wednesday, what would have been Ariel's 7th birthday. The family was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and murdered while held captive in the Gaza Strip. Bibas wrote a heart-wrenching message, saying he would give up everything for one more moment with his son.
On Wednesday, August 5, Yarden Bibas visited the graves of his wife Shiri and sons Ariel and Kfir, marking what would have been Ariel's seventh birthday. Bibas, who was released from Hamas captivity, wrote a heart-wrenching message, saying he would give up everything for one more moment with his son.
Earlier that day, at 12:14 Jerusalem, a Telegram post commemorated Ariel, and the i24NEWS news outlet published an article marking the occasion. The Bibas family — Shiri, Ariel, and infant Kfir — were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and murdered while held captive in Gaza. Their father Yarden was held separately; after his release, their deaths were confirmed. The family was laid to rest on February 26, 2025.
The Bibas family's tragedy has become a national symbol of the October 7 atrocities. As The Zioneer has reported, Yarden Bibas participated in a tree-planting ceremony with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee in July, and Shiri's cousin led a protest calling for a hostage deal in June. The gravesite continues to draw mourners from across Israel.
The exact circumstances of the family's murder in captivity remain under investigation, but the case endures as a national rallying point.
3 developments
- DevelopingTelegram post commemorates the Bibas family, murdered by Hamas in Gaza
- StrongYarden Bibas, US Ambassador Huckabee plant trees for murdered Bibas family
- StrongOctober 7 survivor Sabin Ta'asa: 'I am not ready for Hamas in Gaza, do not abandon us again'
- DevelopingA haunting image of 12-year-old Yagel Yaakov from Kibbutz Nir Oz is shared, reviving October 7 trauma
Source and signal
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