Washington D.C. – NPR, February 20, 2025
Hamas has handed over what it said are the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two young sons who had become a symbol in Israel of the plight of hostages held in Gaza. The bodies will undergo forensic testing in Israel to confirm their identity.
The bodies are believed to be Shiri Bibas, 33, her sons Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and nine months at the time of their capture, and Oded Lifshitz, 84. All were taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Hamas says they were killed in Israeli strikes during the Gaza war.
Shiri Bibas’ husband Yarden was also taken hostage with the family. He was released alive earlier this month. The Bibas family and their two small redheaded children had become a symbol of the hostage struggle in Israel throughout the war, with posters of their faces plastered along city streets and commemorations held on the children’s birthdays.
