Hamas returned the bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel on Thursday, nearly nine months after they were abducted during the October 7 attack on Israel. The two were the youngest captives taken by Hamas and had become symbols of the crisis.
Red Cross vehicles transported four black coffins from the handover site in the Gaza Strip. Each casket bore a small picture of the hostages. Armed Hamas militants in black and camouflage uniforms surrounded the area during the exchange.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the display of bodies in Gaza, calling it “abhorrent and cruel” and stating that it violated international law. “Under international law, any handover of remains must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families,” Turk said in a statement.
After the Red Cross received the remains, Israeli authorities scanned the coffins for explosives before transporting them into Israel. Along the route near the Gaza border, mourners gathered in the rain to pay their respects as the convoy passed.
“We stand here together with broken hearts. The sky is also crying with us, and we pray to see better days,” said a woman identified only as Efrat.
In Tel Aviv, people assembled at Hostages Square outside Israel’s defense headquarters, some in tears. “Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts—the hearts of an entire nation—are shattered,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Hamas had previously claimed in November 2023 that the Bibas children and their mother, Shiri, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israeli authorities never confirmed their deaths. The Bibas family was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in the attack.
The return of the bodies is part of a ceasefire agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States. The exchange follows weeks of negotiations and marks the first time Hamas has handed over deceased hostages during the truce.
Israel is expected to conduct DNA testing to confirm the identities of the remains. The repatriation of the Bibas brothers comes ahead of another planned exchange on Saturday, when six living hostages are set to be released in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Negotiations for a second phase of the agreement are ongoing, with talks expected to focus on the return of approximately 60 remaining hostages. Less than half are believed to be alive. The discussions may also address a potential full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza to bring an end to the war.
The October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 individuals, according to Israeli sources. Since then, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has left approximately 48,000 dead, according to Palestinian health officials, and has devastated the region.
The latest exchange signals a crucial moment in ongoing ceasefire efforts, with pressure mounting for a resolution to the months-long conflict.
