IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari Speaks About Bibas Family

Below is the text of IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, who spoke about the discovery of footage of the Bibas family who were abducted by Hamas terrorists to Gaza:

One hundred and thirty four hostages are still being held in Hamas captivity in Gaza. The youngest hostage is Kfir Bibas, a baby stolen from his crib during the Hamas massacre of October 7 when he was only nine months old.

Baby Kfir was brutally kidnapped together with his four years old brother, Ariel, their mother Shiri, and their father, Yarden.

The IDF has obtained new information about the Bibas family.

The material that I am sharing has been shown to the relatives of the Bibas family, and are being shared with their consent.

During our operation against Hamas in Khan Younis over the last few weeks, our forces obtained new footage of Shiri Bibas with her children, 4 year old Ariel and 9 month old Kfir, from the day they were kidnapped into Gaza on October 7.

According to the footage and intelligence that we gathered, after Shiri Bibas and her two children were kidnapped from their home on October 7, they were taken to eastern Khan Younis to the outpost belonging to the Kataeb Al-Mujahidin terror group. The footage shows the terrorists wrapping Shiri and her babies in a sheet, trying to hide them. You can see little Ariel’s gingi (red) hair poking through the white cloth. They were forced into a car and taken somewhere else.

From the information available to us, we are concerned for the well-being of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. Seeing this mother clutching her young babies surrounded by armed terrorists is horrifying and heart-wrenching.

But it is also a call for action! That we must bring the hostages home. Fast! Those who have the audacity to question our need to operate in Gaza, but don’t have the basic decency and humanity to demand that Hamas release our hostages first, they should all take a good look at this terrified mother, Shiri, clutching her babies.

Until Hamas releases our hostages, we will leave no stone unturned until our hostages are home.