Israel Confirms Bibas Boys Among Bodies Returned By Hamas, But Mother Still Missing
Israel has confirmed that two of the four bodies handed over by Hamas on Thursday belong to Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the young brothers kidnapped on October 7. However, forensic tests revealed that a third body, expected to be that of their mother, Shiri Bibas, does not match her identity—or that of any known Israeli hostage.
The Israeli military stated that forensic evidence and intelligence indicate the children were murdered. “This is a grave violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which was obligated to return four deceased hostages. We demand the immediate return of Shiri along with all our hostages,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared in a statement.
Despite this shocking revelation, the IDF confirmed that the planned release of six more hostages on Saturday remains unchanged.
Earlier in the day, Hamas transferred four bodies to Israel, which were believed to include Shiri and her sons, as well as 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his wife. Israel’s National Center of Forensic Medicine later confirmed Lifshitz’s identity but initially withheld information about the Bibas family.
Following the IDF’s official announcement, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged the UN to condemn Hamas’ actions and demand Shiri’s return. “There are no words to describe this atrocity. Hamas not only murdered Ariel and Kfir—a four-year-old boy and a 10-month-old baby—but continues its cruelty even in death,” Danon said.
He criticized Hamas for returning an unidentified body instead of Shiri, calling it “a new low, an evil and cruelty with no parallel.”
The children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was released earlier this month after 484 days of captivity as part of the January 2025 ceasefire deal. However, the fate of Shiri remains uncertain.
Kfir, who was just nine months old at the time of his abduction, was the youngest hostage taken to Gaza—and now, the youngest confirmed to have been killed. His image, featuring him holding a pink elephant toy with a toothless smile, has become a global symbol of the tragedy. Ariel, aged four at the time, was often depicted in a photo from a hair salon, still wrapped in a cape after a haircut.
The Bibas family’s suffering resonated worldwide, with their images displayed in Times Square, printed on protest t-shirts in London and Berlin, and even highlighted at the World Economic Forum in Davos by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
One of the most harrowing images of the October 7 attack remains a video of Shiri clutching her two young sons, wrapped in a blanket, as she was taken into captivity—Ariel still sucking on his pacifier.
Now, Israel demands answers: Where is Shiri Bibas?
