By Jerald Jimenez
Nov 29, 2023, 16:45 PM EST
A family held hostage by Hamas, with the group’s youngest hostage, 10 months old, his 4-year-old brother and his mother, died after Israeli bombings occurred in the Gaza Strip, the terrorist group said, despite of not having proof of what happened.
The news of the death of baby Kfir Bibas, child Ariel Bibas and their mother, Shiri Silverman Bibas, 23, announced by the Al Qassam brigades on Telegram, comes a day after Hamas indicated that they were handed over to another faction of the cluster.
Given this, the Israeli army said that it is investigating the alleged death of the family and that it has contacted the Bibas to inform them of the situation.
“The terrorist organization Hamas continues to act in a cruel and inhumane manner,” the Israeli army said in a statement. “Responsibility for the safety of all hostages in the Gaza Strip rests squarely with the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas endangers hostages, including nine children. Hamas is required to immediately return them to Israel.”
The Bibas family had been kidnapped along with Father Yarden from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border. The young redheads, affectionately known as “The Reds,” had become a kind of symbol of the brutality of the attack and the hope for their liberation.
Despite repeated pleas from distant relatives and IDF officials, the Bibas family was not on the list of hostages expected to be released on Wednesday, according to CNN.
Ofri Bibas, the aunt of the children reported dead, called on Tuesday for the family to be released before the temporary ceasefire ended on Wednesday.
“We call on the Israeli government, Qatar and Egypt, all those involved in these negotiations and this agreement, to do everything possible to include our family in this agreement and release them as soon as possible,” Bibas asked in statements to The Times of Israel.
With information from New York Post