Hamas claims youngest Israeli hostage, his brother and mother are all de@d

 

Hamas has claimed that Israel's youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, along with his mother and brother, are dead, leaving the family in tragic pain.

 

 

Kfir was nine months old when he was abducted when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. He was kidnapped alongside his mother Shiri, father Yarden, and then-four-year-old brother Ariel

Shiri's two young sons were seen in the abduction video, and she was shown swaddling them in a blanket and being taken away by armed men.

 

Yarden Bibas was granted freedom this month, but his wife and children were left behind.

 

In late 2023, Hamas stated that Shiri and the children had been informed by Israeli bombardments. But the family maintains they have had received no 'official confirmation' of their deaths.

 

'We have been in turmoil following (the) Hamas spokesperson's announcement about the planned return of our Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir this Thursday,' a statement from the family said, adding they had 'not yet received any official confirmation regarding this matter'.

 

 

Israel has said it is gravely concerned about Shiri and her children, but has not confirmed their de@ths.

 

 

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, in pre-recorded remarks on Tuesday, said the bodies of four hostages would be returned on Thursday and that the release of the six living hostages would follow on Saturday. He did not elaborate beyond saying that the Bibas family would be included in the handover of four bodies.

 

 

The six hostages to be released on Saturday are the last living hostages to be freed under the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. The hostage releases have come in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

 

 

Isreal and Hamas have yet to negotiate the second and more difficult phase, in which the terrorist group would release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.