The return of Shiri Bibas’s body, after months of desperate hopes and excruciating waiting, sent a gut-wrenching wave of grief through Israel. It wasn’t just the news—it was the unbearable confirmation of what we had feared, the loss of a mother who was taken alongside her two small sons, Ariel and Kfir. The images of her gripping onto her babies while Hamas tugs on her arms, is the last we have of her.
On February 22, 2025, forensic experts confirmed the identity of Shiri Bibas’s remains and found no evidence supporting Hamas’s claim that she died in an Israeli airstrike. Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine, stated that Bibas, like her sons Ariel and Kfir, was brutally murdered by her Hamas captors in November 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel “will not forget and will not forgive” the murders, while Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that their deaths would “not be taken lightly.” Hamas rejected Israel’s findings and continued to insist, without evidence, that the family had died in an airstrike.
The funerals of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas will be held privately at the family’s request on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, however, the eulogies will be broadcast to the public at 11:30 Israel time. A procession along the route will occur before the burial, and the public is invited. The links and location of their burial will be shared at a later date. No government officials were invited to attend the funeral and shiva. The Eshkol Regional Council also urged the public to honor the family’s choice. Kibbutz Nir Oz, where the family lived, said in a statement that Shiri worked in the kibbutz’s accounting department and previously in local education. The statement also read that they loved their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and shared countless happy moments there. In Argentina, a street named Palestine Street will be renamed in memory of the Bibas Family.
Hamas released six hostages on February 22, 2025, marking the final living captives freed under the first phase of the ceasefire deal. The hostages—Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed—were handed over to the Red Cross before reuniting with their families in Israel. Hamas staged propaganda-filled ceremonies, parading five of the hostages before transferring them, while al-Sayed was released separately. Shoham, Shem Tov, Wenkert, and Cohen were kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, while Mengistu and al-Sayed had been held for nearly a decade after crossing into Gaza independently. Their release came just hours after Israel confirmed that Hamas had brutally murdered Shiri Bibas and her two young sons in captivity. With the completion of this phase, four more hostages—believed to be dead—are set for release next.
On Sunday February 23, 2025, Israeli fighter jets flew low over Beirut during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, sending a strong message to Israel’s enemies. Lebanese media circulated footage showing the aircraft overhead as the funeral crowd chanted anti-Israel slogans. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the flyover, warning that those who threaten Israel will face consequences. He emphasized that while Israel secures victories, its adversaries will be left to specialize in funerals.
On Sunday February 23, 2025, Israel halted the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded an end to Hamas’s staged ceremonies that publicly parade hostages before their release. The decision came after Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen and others were forced to participate in a propaganda event under duress, sparking outrage. Netanyahu’s office stated that no further prisoner releases would occur until Israel receives guarantees that Hamas will stop using hostages for political spectacle. Hamas condemned the move, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, while Israeli officials reaffirmed their commitment to securing the return of all remaining hostages.
On February 22, 2025, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal being forced to watch as other captives were freed. The two men, appearing distressed, pleaded for their release in what families and officials condemned as psychological torture. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited the video as further proof of Hamas’s cruel treatment of hostages and announced a delay in the planned release of 600 Palestinian prisoners. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called the video a “sickening display of cruelty” and urged international pressure to secure the release of all remaining captives.
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