In a profound display of national mourning, vast numbers of Israelis congregated along highways in southern Israel to witness the somber funeral procession for Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. The Bibas Family, tragically killed while held hostage in Gaza, have become a poignant symbol of the ongoing hostage crisis and the deep grief gripping the nation. The heartbreaking scenes unfolded as thousands, many waving Israeli flags and carrying orange balloons – a color now synonymous with the Bibas family – paid their final respects.
Israeli television networks broadcasted live coverage of the procession, and public memorial services, featuring eulogies from grieving relatives, were held after a private burial. Crowds gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages’ Square, watching on large screens, united in their collective sorrow for the Bibas family. Neta, a woman who traveled from northern Israel, expressed the sentiments of many to Channel 12, stating, “This trio settled in my heart, and I believe in all of our hearts… I wanted to come here to be as close as possible to the Gaza border communities, to be part of this farewell” to the Bibas family.
Kfir Bibas, the youngest of the Bibas family at just nine months old, was the youngest of the 251 hostages captured during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. His brother, Ariel, was only four. The images of these two red-haired boys quickly became powerful and recognizable symbols representing the desperate efforts to secure the release of all hostages. The earlier release of Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of Ariel and Kfir, without his wife and children at the beginning of the month, had already caused considerable anguish and now the confirmation of their deaths has deepened the nation’s pain.
Yarden Bibas delivered a moving eulogy for his wife, Shiri, age 32, remembering her as “the most amazing wife and mother,” and affirming his eternal love. Addressing Shiri directly, he said, “Shiri, everyone knows us and loves us. You have no idea how surreal this madness is.” Wearing an orange kippah, he shared cherished memories of his sons, recalling the joy and surprise he and Shiri felt when their second son was also born with red hair. In a gesture of solidarity and mourning, the Israeli president’s residence was illuminated in orange, the color that has become a poignant emblem for the Bibas family and their plight.
As the procession commenced, the Bibas family released a statement expressing their gratitude for the overwhelming public support. They spoke of longing for a future “when we can once again gather in moments of joy, not sorrow,” a sentiment echoing the collective hope for peace and an end to the suffering. Shontal, wrapped in an orange flag while watching the convoy, conveyed her profound sympathy, telling Channel 12, “I wanted to come and be close to them, to offer my condolences to Yarden and the family. I hope he manages to recover – not only from the captivity he endured but also from grasping and understanding this terrible tragedy… His tragedy is all of ours.”
Bibas family photo of Yarden and Shiri with their children
The Bibas family’s nightmare began during the brutal Hamas assault over 16 months prior. A harrowing video captured Shiri Bibas, visibly terrified, clutching her young children as they were surrounded by armed men and abducted from their home. Later surveillance footage placed them in Khan Younis, Gaza. In November 2023, Hamas announced that Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, a claim that was never verified by the Israeli military, which only expressed “serious concern” for their well-being at the time.
Until recently, the Bibas family held onto hope for their safe return. They publicly requested restraint from premature mourning until official confirmation could be obtained through a government post-mortem examination. However, last Friday, the first handover of remains of deceased hostages by Hamas since the October 7th attack, as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement, delivered devastating news. DNA testing confirmed the deaths of Ariel and Kfir Bibas. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that pathological examinations and intelligence indicated they were murdered by their captors “with their bare hands.”
Adding to the family’s anguish, the coffin labeled with Shiri Bibas’ name, handed over by Hamas via the International Committee of the Red Cross, did not contain her remains. Instead, it contained the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza. Hamas suggested a possible mix-up due to the chaos following Israeli bombardments. Two days later, the Bibas family received the agonizing confirmation that Shiri’s body had also been returned to Israel and that she too had been murdered while in captivity.
The disturbing confusion surrounding the bodies, compounded by the grim handover ceremony staged by Hamas, were cited by Israel as truce violations. This led to the postponement of a planned release of around 600 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas responded by accusing Israel of a “serious violation,” plunging the ceasefire process into renewed uncertainty. Mediators eventually resolved the immediate crisis, with the promise of the return of four more Israeli hostage bodies and the release of Palestinian prisoners. However, the entire ordeal has amplified the deep anxiety and uncertainty for the families of the approximately 60 remaining hostages, who are left to wonder if their loved ones will ever return, alive or deceased, from Gaza.
Mourner kissing an orange flower at the Bibas family funeral procession
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to avenge the Bibas family’s deaths has further heightened the worries of hostage families, who fear escalations could endanger those still held captive. The Bibas family themselves have publicly criticized both the Israeli media and Prime Minister Netanyahu for disregarding their plea to withhold details about the circumstances of their deaths. Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden Bibas’s sister, directly addressed the Prime Minister in a Facebook post, demanding he “shut up” after his repeated public pronouncements about the murders, calling it an “outright abuse of a family that has gone through 16 months of hell and still has the worst ahead.”
The funeral for the Bibas family followed just a day after the burial of Oded Lifshitz, another victim from Nir Oz, who was abducted at 83 years old and whose body was also recently returned. Netanyahu has attributed Lifshitz’s death to murder by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Shiri Bibas and her children were buried together in a single casket, placed next to the graves of her parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, who also lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz and were killed on October 7th.
The October 7th attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel, marking the nation’s deadliest day and igniting the ongoing and devastating war in Gaza, which, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, has claimed over 48,000 lives. At the funeral, Ofri Bibas Levy delivered a powerful and poignant message, urging Israeli officials not to simply seek forgiveness for failing to protect Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, but to take full accountability. “Forgiveness means accepting responsibility and committing to act differently, to learn from mistakes,” she stated. “There is no meaning to forgiveness before the failures are investigated, and all officials take responsibility. Our disaster as a nation and as a family should not have happened, and must never happen again.”
