The family of Yarden Bibas, who was recently released by Hamas after 15 months in captivity, is experiencing a mix of emotions as they welcome him back while still grappling with the absence of his wife Shiri and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir.
Bibas and his family were abducted by Hamas from kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, with the children being just nine months and four years old at the time. Despite a temporary truce in late November 2023 that saw the release of many women and children, Shiri and the boys were not among them. Hamas had claimed that they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, a claim that Israel has not confirmed but has acknowledged the possibility of.
