Yarden Bibas

Yarden Bibas, a 34-year-old Israeli, along with his wife Shiri, 32, and their two young sons, Ariel (4 years old) and Kfir (9 months old), became victims of a horrifying abduction by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. The family was residing on Kibbutz Nir Oz, located in southern Israel.

On that fateful day, Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, resulting in unspeakable violence and the abduction of the Bibas family. The scene that captured the world's attention was the harrowing kidnapping of Shiri Bibas, who clutched her two young sons as she was forcibly taken captive by Hamas. Several photos appeared later that showed Yarden bleeding from his head, being forcibly led away by attackers.

The Bibas family consisted of Shiri, Yarden, and their two red-haired boys, who were living in Kibbutz Nir Oz when the horrifying incident unfolded. The family was not alone; Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were also residing in the kibbutz.

Yifat Zailer, Shiri's cousin, played a crucial role in sharing the family's traumatic ordeal with the world. She vividly recalled the events of that tragic Saturday morning. Yifat lived in Tel Aviv, a city that allowed residents approximately a minute and a half to reach safety during rocket alerts. In stark contrast, Shiri and her family, residing near the border, had only ten seconds to find shelter. Yifat sent a message to Shiri, urgently advising her to seek cover.

Despite the dire circumstances and limited time, Shiri responded to Yifat's message with a heart emoji, displaying remarkable resilience in the face of danger.

As the morning progressed, Yifat sent additional messages, but there were no further responses from Shiri. It became evident that something dreadful had occurred, causing Yifat's anxiety to escalate as she desperately sought information about her cousin and her family.

A friend sent Yifat a haunting image that would come to symbolize the family's tragedy – a photo of Shiri, cradling her two terrified children. This image would become a source of anguish for their family and anyone who saw it, as it was evident that they had been abducted into Gaza.

The agonizing wait for information stretched on for nearly three days, with authorities facing the challenging task of identifying victims who were badly burned during the attack. Finally, the confirmation arrived – Shiri and her children were in Gaza, held captive by Hamas.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, played an active role in raising awareness about the Bibas family's plight. He highlighted the cruelty of Hamas and emphasized the urgency of their release, even celebrating Kfir Bibas's first birthday while in captivity. Ambassador Erdan called on other ambassadors to remember Kfir and their collective duty to bring him and the rest of the family home safely.