On Monday, the eve of Passover, Shiri Bibas will mark her 33rd birthday in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. For almost 200 days, her family has not received any sign of life from her and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were kidnapped with her from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border with Gaza. Yarden, Shiri's husband, was also kidnapped on October 7.
"Shiri has her birthday on the same date as my son Alon," shared Shiri's sister Dana. "I always celebrated them together with a shared cake, one side decorated for Alon and the other for Shiri. Shiri's birthday always falls on Passover, but this is the first time that it falls right on Seder night."
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Shiri Bibas shares her birthday with her nephew, Alon; A shared birthday cake in 2022
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
Last Wednesday, new footage depicting the kidnapping of Yarden Bibas surfaced online. In the clip, Bibas is seen surrounded by terrorists as they beat him and shout at him and is led by a gunman on a motorcycle. At one point, the video cuts off and then starts over, showing Bibas' head covered in blood.
In February, the IDF released security camera footage showing Shiri and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, being led through the streets of east Khan Younis on the day of the kidnapping on October 7. The IDF said it was gravely concerned for the safety of the young mother and her children.
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Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two children Ariel and Kfir
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
In November, Hamas claimed, without providing any evidence, that Shiri and her two children were dead. Israeli officials were unable to confirm the claim. The IDF said in response "the terrorist organization Hamas continues to behave in a cruel and inhumane manner. The IDF is examining the reliability of the information." Yarden Bibas was featured in one of the terrorist organization's propaganda videos shortly after the announcement.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller Islamist faction allied with Hamas, previously claimed that Hanna Katzir, a 76-year-old hostage abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, had died in captivity. However, Katzir returned alive in November as part of a temporary cease-fire agreement.
Her son Elat Katzir was also taken hostage on October 7. The IDF recovered his body in Khan Younis in early April.