Israel
Yarden Bibas shares painful third-birthday message to ‘beloved’ son Kfir
Slain hostage Kfir Bibas was taken captive when he was just nine months old, and his brother Ariel was four
January 19, 2026 16:17
Slain hostage Kfir Bibas was taken captive when he was just nine months old, and his brother Ariel was four
January 19, 2026 16:17Former hostage Yarden Bibas has shared a heart-wrenching message to his son, Kfir, on what would have been the infant’s third birthday.
Aged just nine months, Kfir Bibas was the youngest person to be abducted by Hamas on October 7 2023. He was snatched along with his brother Ariel, aged four, and their mother, Shiri Bibas, 32, in the Hamas-led attacks. Footage of the distressed trio being taken from their home at Kibbutz Nir Oz into eastern Khan Yuni, was widely shared online on October 7, with the boy’s distinctive red hair, combined with their young age quickly becoming among the most recognisable of the victims taken captive on October 7.
Yarden Bibas was also kidnapped and held in Gaza. Unbeknown to him, Shiri and their sons were killed in captivity. When Hamas announced their deaths, the terror group claimed they had died as a result of an Israeli airstrike. Israel later stated forensic evidence showed they had been killed with “bare hands”.
The boys’ bodies were handed over to Israel last February. Hamas said that another body returned on the same day was Shiri’s but forensic testing showed it was not her. Shir’s body was subsequently returned.
Yarden Bibas’s message, posted to his Instagram account, began: “My beloved Kfir. Just a few months after you were born, you were evacuated from home because of a round of fighting in Gaza”.
He continued: “You got to taste solid food, you started crawling, and you even got to celebrate your brother's 4th birthday...You didn't get to celebrate your first birthday, so how can I mark your third?
“Kfir, I'm sorry I brought you into such a cruel world. I hope you know how much I love you and how much I miss you. I'm sure Mum, Ariel, and Tony [the family dog] are celebrating with you in heaven. I'm sure Mum is giving you the best and happiest birthday possible, just the way she knows how.
“I love you more than anything in the world, always, forever”.
He ended the emotional message with three orange heart emoji, the symbol that has become ubiquitous among tributes to Kfir and Ariel, signifying the children’s bright hair.
The boys were killed by Hamas terrorists in captivity in Gaza no later than November 2023, according to the IDF’s forensic examination. Kfir would have been ten months old and Ariel aged four at that time. Shiri Bibas was 32. Yarden Bibas was released back to Israel after 484 days, in an elaborate ceremony staged by Hamas that was widely condemned.
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