For nearly a year, 11-month-old Kfir Bibas has been held captive by Hamas, a heartbreaking symbol of Israel's hostage crisis as his family remains desperate for answers about his fate.
For nearly a year, Kfir Bibas, a now 11-month-old baby, has been held captive by Hamas militants, spending more than half his life in captivity. His innocent face, framed by bright red hair, has become a powerful symbol of the suffering endured by hundreds of Israeli families who remain in agony over the fate of their loved ones abducted by Hamas.
On October 7, Kfir, along with his four-year-old brother Ariel, their mother Shiri, and father Yarden, were violently taken from their home in the kibbutz of Nir Oz during a devastating Hamas assault on southern Israel. The militants slaughtered over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in what has been described as the deadliest terror attack on Israel since its founding in 1948. Among the victims were Kfir’s grandparents, murdered in the same attack that saw the Bibas family abducted.
A chilling video captured the moment of the family’s kidnapping: a terrified Shiri clinging to her two young sons, Ariel still with a pacifier in his mouth, as Hamas militants encircled them. The children remained silent as their shaken mother wrapped herself in a blanket, their innocence starkly contrasted with the horror around them.
While negotiations have led to the release of some hostages from Gaza under a recent truce agreement, including women and children, Kfir's family remains in the dark about his condition or even if he is still alive. Eylon Keshet, a cousin of the family, spoke of their anguish. “We are really, really worried about him,” Keshet told CNN. “Every day he is there is a real danger to his life.”
Yarden, the boys’ father, was reportedly struck by a hammer during the attack, though his whereabouts remain unknown. The family believes he was separated from Shiri and their children based on videos they have seen, but little else is known.
As Gaza continues to endure intense conflict, with over 14,800 Palestinians killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to the Hamas attacks, the fate of the remaining hostages hangs in the balance. For the families like Kfir’s, every day without answers is an unbearable torment.
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