The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed today that the bodies Kfir Bibas, aged ten months, and his older brother Ariel, aged four, were not victims of an airstrike, but were instead murdered by Hamas terrorists.
Forensic evidence gathered during the identification process has confirmed the tragic fate of the brothers, whose bodies were returned to Israel by Hamas yesterday.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement: “Following a forensic examination, we can confirm that baby Kfir Bibas, aged just ten months old, and his older brother Ariel, aged 4, were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza, no later than November, 2023,” Hagari said.
Hagari also emphasised the stark contrast to Hamas’s false narrative regarding the boys’ deaths.
“Contrary to Hamas’s lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood,” he continued.
“The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys—they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”
The findings have been corroborated by both forensic evidence and intelligence that supports the conclusions drawn by Israeli officials. The IDF has shared the details of the investigation with other countries for independent verification.
Ofri Bibas Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas and aunt to Ariel and Kfir, expressed her devastation at the confirmation of the boys’ murders.
“I’m sorry Luli, I’m sorry Firfir,” she writes on social media, using nicknames. “You didn’t deserve any of this. We’ll miss you forever. And we won’t give up on Mom Shiri.”
Levy called for the return of the remaining hostages, including the boys’ mother, Shiri Bibas.
“For Ariel and Kfir and for Yarden, we are not asking for revenge now. We are asking for Shiri,” she says.
The Israeli military also confirmed that the third body received alongside Ariel and Kfir’s remains was not Shiri’s. Specialists at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute could not identify the body, and it did not match any known hostage. The body remains unidentified, described only as an anonymous, unrecognised casualty.
While Yarden Bibas, the boys’ father, was returned to Israel as part of a hostage release agreement earlier this month, Shiri’s fate remains unknown.
“We demand that Hamas return Shiri along with all our hostages,” said the IDF, condemning the actions of the terror group.
The IDF pledged its continued commitment to securing the return of Shiri Bibas and all hostages, while vowing to bring those responsible for the atrocities to justice. “We share the deep sorrow of the Bibas family at this difficult time and will continue to make every effort to return Shiri and all the hostages home as soon as possible,” the IDF concluded.
