Hundreds mourned Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, during their funeral in southern Israel. The family, taken by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, became symbols of the Israeli hostage crisis. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband, expressed his deep sorrow in a televised eulogy, holding his family’s memory dear. The Bibas were buried together in a single coffin, surrounded by flowers and orange balloons. Mourners gathered in solidarity, with calls for investigation into the circumstances of their deaths. Their tragic story has resonated widely and highlighted the ongoing conflict’s human toll.
Gaza City:
On Wednesday, hundreds of mourners congregated at a cemetery in southern Israel to pay their respects to Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who were tragically killed while in captivity in Gaza and had become poignant symbols of the hostages’ plight in Israel.
Orange balloons, representing the children’s red hair, danced in the breeze from a nearby fence close to the cemetery of kibbutz Nir Oz, where the Bibas family was abducted by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023.
Messages declaring “sorry” and “the broken heart with the Bibas family” were displayed from a nearby fence.
“Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you all safe,” Yarden Bibas expressed during his eulogy at the funeral for his wife and two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were just four years old and nine months old at the time of their kidnapping.
Last week, Hamas returned the remains of Shiri and her two children as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, while Yarden Bibas was released earlier this month.
“Shiri, I love you and will always love you. You mean everything to me,” Yarden said, his voice choked with emotion as he delivered his eulogy, which was broadcast live from the cemetery.
The funeral was private, limited to close family members, and not open to the media.
“Ariel, I hope you’re not upset with me for not being able to protect you properly and for not being there,” he said.
“I hope you know that I thought of you every single day, every moment. I hope you’re enjoying paradise.”
Reflecting on Kfir, he remarked: “You brought so much light and joy into our little home. Your sweet, captivating laugh and smile made me fall in love instantly! I couldn’t help but want to nibble on you all the time.”
Shiri and her two sons were laid to rest together in a single coffin, mirroring the haunting images captured during their abduction when she was seen tightly holding her children as militants took them to Gaza.
The grave at the small cemetery was adorned with a vibrant collection of orange, yellow, and white flowers, as reported by an AFP correspondent.
The left-leaning newspaper Haaretz dedicated its entire front page to the color orange.
“An entire nation in tears bids farewell to Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. May they rest in peace,” the headline read.
‘Take responsibility’
During the funeral, Shiri Bibas’s sister-in-law, Ofri, urged all Israeli officials to take accountability for the deaths, asserting that her loved ones could have been saved.
“There can be no forgiveness without a thorough investigation of the failures, and all officials must take responsibility… They chose revenge over saving lives,” she stated.
Before the funeral, a large assembly, with many donning orange and waving Israeli flags, gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to witness a live broadcast of the service.
“It’s clear that all our hearts are shattered,” expressed Sherri Ettedgui, who relocated from Canada to Israel just two months prior.
“There are truly no words to capture the feelings we have for this family. We came here today to unite with others sharing the same sentiments and to offer our support.”
Earlier in the day, thousands of mourners, holding flags and orange balloons, joined the funeral procession en route to Zohar, near kibbutz Nir Oz.
The national anthem of Israel was sung softly as the funeral convoy moved through the crowd in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.
“The Bibas family embodies everything that has transpired since October 7,” remarked retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly moved as she spoke to AFP. “These two innocent babies and their mother, who did nothing wrong, were murdered in cold blood.”
Dozens lit candles along the roadside in remembrance.
‘In the heart’
“The Bibas family has touched us all, deep in our hearts,” said a visibly emotional 22-year-old Aviv Nahman, speaking to AFP. “I have a sister and nephews the same ages, which compelled me to be here today.”
The remains of the three Bibas family members were among the first to be returned under the ceasefire agreement that concluded more than 15 months of conflict in Gaza.
The handover sparked outrage in Israel when Hamas initially returned a body that was not Shiri’s. The militant group cited a “mix-up” and provided the correct remains the following day.
Hamas has long contended that an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas early in the war; however, an Israeli post-mortem found no signs of blast injuries.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)