After Yarden Bibas's release from Hamas captivity, his family is urgently seeking information about his wife and children, who were also kidnapped during the October attack. Their calls for answers highlight the ongoing distress surrounding the fate of hostages in the midst of the unfolding Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Demand for Clarity: Family of Freed Israeli Hostage Calls for Information on Missing Loved Ones
Demand for Clarity: Family of Freed Israeli Hostage Calls for Information on Missing Loved Ones
Yarden Bibas's family pleads for answers regarding his wife and children taken by Hamas amid increasing concerns over their fate.
Yarden Bibas, a recently freed Israeli hostage, has sparked an impassioned plea from his family for information regarding the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. After being released in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement, Bibas's family expresses deep sorrow and frustration, adamant they can no longer accept the uncertainty surrounding their loved ones.
Shiri (33) and her two sons were abducted along with Yarden during the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The militant group previously claimed that Shiri, Ariel (5), and Kfir (2) had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, though this assertion remains unverified by the Israeli military.
At a recent press gathering outside Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Dana Silberman-Sitton, Shiri's sister, emphasized the family's demand for answers, stating that the state has "failed to protect" them. “We demand answers. We demand them back,” she declared, underscoring the emotional turmoil they have endured for over 16 months.
Yarden's sister, Ofri Bibas Levy, further expressed the family's anguish, sharing that while her brother has returned, his wife and children remain missing. The government’s hostage coordinator, Gal Hirsch, acknowledged the family's plight and confirmed that efforts to locate the missing individuals have been ongoing.
Recently, placards displaying the faces of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir have been seen throughout Israel, marking Kfir's second birthday on January 18. Amid these developments, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described Yarden’s return as "simply heartbreaking" and reiterated concerns about the fate of the remaining hostages.
The urgency of the situation is intensified by the fact that of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during the October attack, many remain unaccounted for. This ongoing crisis has led to significant military responses from Israel, resulting in heavy casualties in Gaza, further complicating the search for answers and the resolution of hostilities.
