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Kibbutz Nir Oz announced early Saturday that Shiri Bibas was murdered in captivity after being abducted during the October 7 massacre along with her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. The announcement came hours after her remains were returned to Israel.
"Shiri, who was abducted at the age of 32, was born and raised in Nir Oz. For years, she cared for the kibbutz children with dedication as part of the education system and was beloved by all who knew her. In the past two years, she worked in the kibbutz accounting department, but above all, she was a devoted mother with endless love," the kibbutz said in a statement.
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People line the streets to honor Shiri Bibas as her remains arrive in Israel
(Video: from social media)
"Shiri, Yarden, Ariel and Kfir loved their home in Nir Oz—their porch and front lawn, where they spent countless happy moments as a family, and from where they were all abducted on October 7. Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were murdered on that awful day. Today, after 16 unbearable months, there is painful closure for the family. Shiri and her little boys will return to their final resting place on Israeli soil. Shiri is survived by her husband, sister, nephews and loving family and friends who will always remember her smile, kindness and the joy she spread. May the memory of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir be blessed."
According to officials Shiri was murdered by her terrorist captors in the early weeks of the war.
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Earlier, Shiri’s remains arrived for identification at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv after being transferred to the IDF by the Red Cross late on Friday. This followed Hamas handing over the remains of an unidentified woman alongside those of the two boys the previous day.
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IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari: 'Hamas violated the agreement'
(Video: IDF)
According to the IDF, the mother and her sons were brutally murdered, and the terrorists attempted to conceal their crimes by mutilating the bodies to make it appear as if they had died in an Israeli airstrike.
"Contrary to Hamas's lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys—they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities. This assessment is based on both forensic findings from the identification process and intelligence that supports these conclusions."