Shiri Bibas Declared Murdered in Gaza After 16-Month Ordeal

TDT | Manama

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Kibbutz Nir Oz confirmed early Saturday morning that resident Shiri Bibas was murdered while being held captive in Gaza. Her body was handed over by Hamas overnight and subsequently identified in Israel.

“With pain and deep sorrow, Kibbutz Nir Oz announces the murder of Shiri Bibas, may her memory be a blessing, who was kidnapped from her home,” read an official statement from the community, one of the hardest hit during the Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, 2023. “Today, after 16 unbearable months, this painful circle has finally been closed for the family, and in the coming days, she will return, together with her two small sons, to eternal rest in the soil of Israel.”

Israeli officials stated that Bibas and her two sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, nine months, were brutally murdered in November 2023. The tragic confirmation followed Hamas’s transfer of remains on Friday that were initially claimed to belong to Bibas but were later identified as those of a Palestinian woman.

Following the announcement from Kibbutz Nir Oz, the Bibas family issued a heartfelt statement expressing their devastation. “We had held out hope that Shiri and her young sons, Ariel and Kfir, would return alive after being abducted by terrorists during the Hamas attack. We had requested certainty about their fate for 16 months, and now there’s no comfort in it.”

Describing Shiri as a devoted mother, loving partner, and cherished friend, the family expressed gratitude for the support they have received throughout the ordeal. “Shiri was a wonderful mother to Ariel and Kfir, a loving partner to Yarden, a dedicated sister and aunt, and an incredible friend,” they said, adding that funeral and shiva details would be shared soon.

“Thanks to everyone for your support and love these 16 months; we wish that Shiri could be here to see it,” the family concluded.