Youngest hostages Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged two and five, as well as their mother have been confirmed dead by Hamas, with their bodies to be returned to Israel next week
Hamas has confirmed the deaths of its youngest hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged 2 and 5, as well as their mother, Shiri. The bodies of the children and their mother are expected to be returned to Israel next week. Hamas claims the family was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the war. Kfir and Ariel were kidnapped along with their parents, Shiri and Yarden Bibas, during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Yarden was separately kidnapped and recently released. Israel has not confirmed the deaths but expressed "grave concerns" about their well-being. The children, particularly Kfir, had become symbols of the hostages' plight in Israel. Hamas also announced that four bodies of hostages will be returned on Thursday, with six living hostages, including some held for over a decade, to be released on Saturday as part of the ceasefire's first phase.
