Father of Hamas’ youngest hostages is released — but his family remains in Hamas captivity

Yarden Bibas, an Israeli citizen, has finally been reunited with his family in Israel after being held captive by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip for over 480 days. However, his joy is overshadowed by the fact that his wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, are still missing. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have expressed grave concerns about their wellbeing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog both shared their sentiments on Yarden’s release, with Netanyahu stating that the nation’s thoughts are with the Bibas family. President Herzog called the situation heartbreaking and reassured that the people of Israel stand with the family in prayer and concern.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also celebrated Yarden Bibas’ return and pledged to continue advocating for the release of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. Yarden was released alongside two other hostages, an American-Israeli and a French-Israeli, as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The release of the hostages was handled differently this time to ensure their safety, following previous chaotic scenes during hostage transfers. Yarden was forced to make a hostage film while in captivity, where Hamas claimed his family had been killed. However, the terror organization has included Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel on the list of hostages to be released in the ceasefire deal.
The Bibas family became a symbol of Hamas’ cruelty after images and videos of their abduction spread globally. Shiri holding her red-headed children became a poignant image, with the color orange symbolizing the children’s bright hair. Ariel, now 5 years old, and Kfir, who celebrated his second birthday in captivity, are the only child hostages remaining in Gaza.
As of now, 79 hostages are still held in Gaza, with 35 declared dead and their bodies in Hamas’ possession. Keith Siegel, the first Israeli-American hostage to be released, is among the freed captives. There are still six American citizens in Gaza, two of whom are believed to be alive.
The return of Yarden Bibas is a glimmer of hope amidst a difficult situation, but the Bibas family’s ordeal is far from over. The nation of Israel continues to stand with them, demanding the safe return of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir.