Israeli Baby, Youngest Hamas Hostage, Passes One-Month Mark in Captivity

A 10-month-old, Kfir Bibas, was kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas terrorists together with his 4-year-old brother, Ariel, mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden.

Via Ofri Bibas Levy
Kfir Bibas. Via Ofri Bibas Levy

There is no word about the well-being of the youngest hostage abducted by Hamas, Kfir Bibas. The 10-month-old was kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas terrorists together with his 4-year-old brother, Ariel, mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden.

“We haven’t had any updates about baby Kfir or the rest of his family for over a month,” the baby’s aunt, Ofri Bibas Levy, told the Sun. 

The family believes that the mother is with the two young children, while the father has been separated from them. 

The last that Ofri heard from her younger brother Yarden, 34, was on October 7, when he texted her that Hamas terrorists had entered his family’s home at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yarden had been in touch with his sister from the moment Hamas infiltrated his kibbutz, texting her that he could hear Hamas terrorists screaming in Arabic outside the home and gunshots being fired. 

Ofri told him to try to stay as quiet as possible, but Yarden texted back saying he and Shiri were having a difficult time keeping their terrified children silent. 

Several hours later, Ofri saw an online photo of Shiri holding red-haired Kfir and Ariel in her arms surrounded by Hamas terrorists outside.  Friends in England later contacted Ofri saying that there was also a video of Shiri and the children on the social-media platform X. A few days later, a photo of Yarden without his family emerged in the Arab press. He is seen with a bloody wound on his head and being held by Hamas terrorists while riding a motorbike to Gaza. 

“I don’t know if Kfir is getting his baby formula in Hamas captivity or if the family is even getting enough food,” Ofri said in a soft voice. “I pray that my brother is getting treated for his head wound.”

“My brother was afraid that this would happen, that terrorists would enter the kibbutz one day,” she said. 

About 180 people were killed or abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, which originally had a population of 400 people. Helpless families hid in bomb shelters during the Hamas assault, as terrorists set homes on fire and tried to smoke out terrified victims. 

Ofri later learned that Yarden was forced to watch as the Hamas terrorists shot the family’s beloved dog. “He was so connected to that dog; he is a sensitive soul. I think he must be going crazy in Gaza with all that’s happened,” she told Kan 11. 

“It’s an ongoing nightmare. We just want to wake up from this, but we can’t,” she continued. 

The mother of two young children herself, Ofri says that her mind can’t comprehend her family’s situation. “My brother had concerns living so close to the Gaza border with the constant rocket fire. I told him to move next to us in the Golan Heights. He and Shiri were seriously considering moving to the north before this happened.”

Yarden’s wife, Shiri, also had elderly parents, Maragrit and Yossi Silverman, who were in their 60s and living on Nir Oz. It was later discovered that the grandparents of Kfir were murdered by Hamas terrorists. They were buried three weeks after the Hamas massacre, after their bodies were finally identified. 

Ofri herself recently traveled to London and met with British parliamentarians and leaders of the Jewish community to garner support for Kfir and family as well as the other 238 hostages held by Hamas. 

“I spent three days in London together with other families of hostages. The response we got from all those we met including the British MPs was very empathetic,” Ofri, who will be traveling to Switzerland next to raise awareness of her family’s plight, recalled. 

“Most of the families of the hostages are ready for any deal that has to be made to get our loved ones back. We just want our families home as quickly as possible,” Ofri said. “On the other hand, Hamas cannot continue to exist. The situation is just so complex.” 

“I miss my brother so much. I miss my nephews, and Shiri,” she concluded. “I try to keep my own young children as sheltered as possible from all the news. But they talk about how much they miss their cousins too.” 


The New York Sun

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