The remains of four Israeli hostages, including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel, are set to be returned to Israel on Thursday, marking a tragic milestone in the hostage crisis following the October 7 attacks.
The fourth body being repatriated will be Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old peace activist, and journalist abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The return of the bodies follows extensive negotiations as part of the ceasefire arrangement. The Red Cross, which is responsible for facilitating the transfer, has called for privacy and dignity in the handover.
The Bibas family, who was among those taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, has been a focal point of global attention. Nine-month-old Kfir and four-year-old Ariel were the youngest hostages held in Gaza, their distinctive red hair becoming a painful symbol of the crisis.
Their mother, Shiri, 32, was abducted alongside them from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their father, Yarden Bibas, was taken separately but was later released as part of an earlier hostage-prisoner swap.
While Hamas had previously said Shiri and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike, the IDF never confirmed the circumstances of their deaths. Video footage reviewed by Israeli intelligence showed that the three were initially taken alive and later held in Khan Yunis by a smaller terror faction, Kataib Mujahadin. The exact timeline and cause of their deaths remain unclear.
“This is an unbearable and inhumane reality,” the Bibas family said. “Witnessing Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, and Kfir being ripped from their home into this hellscape is beyond comprehension. Kidnapping children is a crime against humanity and a war crime.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum described Shiri, a professional accountant, as a kind-hearted mother; Ariel as an energetic child who loved Batman and tractors; and Kfir as an infant with a captivating smile.
Oded Lifshitz was well known for his work in facilitating medical aid for Palestinians and helping transport patients from Gaza to Israeli hospitals. He and his wife, Yocheved Lifshitz, were taken hostage from their home in Nir Oz. Yocheved was released on October 24, but Oded remained in captivity and was later confirmed dead.
“These are difficult hours for us,” his family said. “We have been informed that our beloved Oded is among the deceased hostages who will be returned to Israel tomorrow.”
The bodies of the four hostages will be handed over to the ICRC by Hamas before being transferred to IDF forces inside Gaza. From there, a military ceremony will take place, including prayers led by a rabbi, after which the remains will be transported to Israel’s border under police escort.
Once in Israel, they will be taken to the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir in Tel Aviv for official identification, a process that may take up to 48 hours.
Senior IDF officials, including representatives from the Hostage Directorate, will oversee the procedure and notify the families.
ICRC statement
The ICRC issued a statement Wednesday emphasizing that “any degrading treatment during release operations is unacceptable,” amid concerns that Hamas could use the return as a propaganda tool. In past exchanges, Hamas has conducted large-scale public ceremonies, which have drawn condemnation from the United Nations for “parading hostages.”
While the ICRC plays a neutral intermediary role, the organization has faced criticism from Israeli officials and hostages’ families who allege it has not done enough to ensure better treatment for captives.
Some critics have mocked the ICRC as a “ride-share” service for Hamas, accusing it of merely facilitating transfers without holding the terror group accountable. The ICRC has rejected these allegations, maintaining that it seeks to ensure hostages are transferred in the best possible conditions.
The return of the Bibas family and Lifshitz comes amid efforts to secure the release of additional living hostages. While their return provides some closure for their families, it also underscores the deep pain and trauma that remains.
President Isaac Herzog, speaking at the Great Synagogue of Rome on Wednesday, called the situation a “wake-up call” for Israel and the world. He expressed gratitude for the support of Jewish communities worldwide and vowed that Israel remains committed to bringing all hostages home.
“These are deeply sorrowful times,” Herzog said. “We must stand united against absolute and cruel evil.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the public to brace themselves on Thursday, only an hour before the announcement was made on Wednesday evening.
“Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for the State of Israel. A shocking day,” he said. “A day of sorrow. We are bringing home four of our beloved hostages, fallen soldiers. We embrace the families, and the heart of an entire nation is torn asunder. My heart is torn. Yours too.
“The heart of the entire world will break because here we see who we are dealing with, what we are dealing with, what monsters we are dealing with. We grieve, we hurt, but we are also determined to ensure that something like this will never happen again,” Netanyahu said.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid commented, “[Our] heart is broken and in pain. Ariel and Kfir and mother Shiri and with them Oded Lifshitz. We hoped so much. Until we ran out of words.”