The youngest Israeli captive held by Hamas, his four-year-old sibling, and their mother have reportedly been killed in an Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
However, the group failed to provide any evidence to substantiate their claim.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have responded by stating that they are investigating the announcement concerning the deaths of Kfir Bibas, aged 10 months, Ariel, aged 4, and their mother, Shiri Silverman-Bibas, 23. "The terrorist organization Hamas continues to act in a cruel and inhuman manner," the IDF said in a statement. They added that they are in contact with the Bibas family and are examining the credibility of the information.
The IDF emphasized that the onus for the safety of all hostages in the Gaza Strip lies squarely with Hamas. "Hamas endangers the hostages, including nine children. Hamas is required to immediately return them to Israel," the statement continued.
The Bibas family, including patriarch Yarden, were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. The children, known affectionately as "The Reds," had become symbolic of the brutality of the terror attack.
Israeli officials announced on Tuesday that the family had been transferred to another Palestinian faction and were being held in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. Despite appeals from relatives and IDF officials, the Bibas family was not included in the list of hostages expected to be released on Wednesday, as reported by CNN.
Hamas has released over 80 of its approximately 240 hostages since a temporary truce was brokered last week. However, Israel accused Hamas of violating "the framework of the operational pause" by detonating explosives and opening fire on troops in two different locations in northern Gaza.
There were no immediate reports of shellings in Khan Younis. Hamas had previously claimed that 77-year-old hostage Hannah Katzir had been killed in captivity by an Israeli attack, but Katzir was released last week, alive and well.
The Bibas children's aunt, Ofri Bibas, appealed for the family's release before the temporary ceasefire ended on Wednesday. "We call upon the Israeli government and Qatar and Egypt, everybody who is involved in these negotiations and this deal, to do whatever they can to include our family in this deal and to release them as soon as possible," Bibas told The Times of Israel.
Eylon Keshet, Kfir's father's cousin, questioned the motives of Hamas, asking reporters, "Is baby Kfir the enemy of Hamas?"
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