“I don’t know if my child will ever know them.”
Now six months pregnant, Ofri Bibas had not yet shared the news with her brother Yarden on October 7.
He was kidnapped with his entire family by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz, during attacks in Israel.
Yarden was kidnapped with his wife Shiri, and their two children: Ariel, 4 years old, and Kfir, barely 9 months old.
The baby is now supposed to be one year old as of January 18.
Doubt hangs over their state of health, especially since Hamas announced at the end of November the death of Shiri and the two young children, “in an Israeli bombardment”.
“We fear for their lives”
Since this announcement, the Israeli army has always refused to confirm this Hamas announcement, only mentioning an examination of “the reliability of this information”.
“We fear for their lives,” said Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli army, on Monday after the broadcast of videos of the family relayed by the IDF.
In these images from a street camera in Khan Younes, in the south of the Gaza Strip, a few kilometers from the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz where they were kidnapped, we can see Shiri Bibas, from behind and surrounded by seven men armed on the day of his capture.
During a press conference organized this Tuesday at midday, those close to the Bibas family once again expressed their concern about their fate: “We ask that the return of these children be an absolute priority in all agreement, and that this family be brought home.
These children are the only ones still hostages in Gaza.
We consented to the publication of this video so that the world cannot forget, cannot look away,” insisted Ofri Bibas.
“What happened on October 7 does not represent Islam”
“We still can't believe that they have to endure all this, that they are probably being held in the dark, as several hostages have reported,” added Aylon Keshet, a cousin of Yarden Bibas.
They are now appealing to the rest of the Muslim community, as Ramadan is due to begin in March: “It is a period of reflection, remorse and new beginnings.
What happened on October 7 does not represent Islam.
What Hamas is doing does not represent Islam.
I ask Arab communities, Arab leaders, all people who believe in the goodness of humanity to take advantage of this time to put pressure where it is needed, on Hamas.
Baby kidnapping is not Islam.
Kidnapping and raping women is not Islam,” concluded Ofri Bibas during his speech.