Kidnapping of the Bibas family

Kidnapping of the Bibas family
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
Shiri Bibas with her 9-month and 4-year-old sons Kfir and Ariel
LocationNir Oz, Israel
Date7 October 2023; 13 months ago (2023-10-07)
Attack type
Kidnapping, mass murder
AccusedLords of the Desert,[1] Mujahideen Brigades, and Hamas.
Drawing of the kidnapping of the Bibas family by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Painter uri inks

On 7 October 2023, as part of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the Nir Oz massacre, the Palestinian Islamist militant organization Hamas abducted the Israeli-Argentinian/Peruvian[2][3][4] Bibas (Hebrew: ביבס) family from the Nir Oz kibbutz: 9-month-old Kfir (Hebrew: כפיר), 4-year-old Ariel (Hebrew: אריאל), 32-year-old mother Shiri (Hebrew: שירי; née Silberman), and her 34-year-old husband Yarden (Hebrew: ירדן).[5][6] The youngest child, baby Kfir, was the youngest hostage taken in the 7 October 2023 attacks.[7] Shiri's parents, who also lived on the kibbutz, were later found murdered.[8]

Amidst widespread concern and a campaign for their release, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas transferred the family to a different Palestinian terror group within Gaza, the Mujahideen Brigades of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement.[9] Efforts to release Shiri and her children during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were unsuccessful; Hamas later claimed that they were killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis.[citation needed]

On 19 February, the IDF presented the relatives of the Bibas family a video showing Shiri and the children while they were still alive several days after the abduction. The video was apparently filmed in southern Gaza.[10]

  1. ^ "דובר צה"ל: "משפחת ביבס נחטפה על ידי ארגון בשם 'אדוני השממה'. חמאס אחראי לגורלם"" [IDF spokesman: "The Biebs family was kidnapped by an organization called 'Lords of the Desert.' Hamas is responsible for their fate" 20.02.24]. Ynet (in Hebrew). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Video shows the kidnapping of Shiri Silberman-Bibas and her children by Hamas gunmen". NBC News.
  3. ^ Friedson, Felice (7 December 2023). "Bibas family cousin pleads to meet with world leaders". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Released Oct. 7 Footage Shows the Abduction of the Bibas Family by Hamas". www.idf.il. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  5. ^ Davis, Barney (15 October 2023). "Family share heartbreaking footage of nine-month-old baby and four-year-old boy who were abducted by Hamas". The Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  6. ^ Sinmaz, Emine; McKernan, Bethan (22 November 2023). "Families of hostages in Gaza wait to see if relatives among those freed". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  7. ^ Goldenberg, Tia (28 November 2023). "The family of an infant hostage pleads for his release before the Israel-Hamas truce winds down". AP News. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Taken captive: Yarden Bibas, injured on his head at abduction". Times of Israel.
  9. ^ "IDF: Hamas abducted Bibas family, including baby, handed them to another terror group". Times of Israel. 1 January 2024.
  10. ^ זיתון, יואב; שאולוב, רוני גרין (19 February 2024). "צה"ל הציג למשפחת ביבס תיעוד של האם ושני ילדיה מדרום הרצועה, ימים לאחר החטיפה". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 February 2024.