The atmosphere was bleak in Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda market on Thursday morning as the entire country paused in dreaded anticipation of the release of the bodies of hostages Oded Lifshitz, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas from Hamas captivity.
The normally lively and bustling streets of the market – on Thursdays filled with people shopping for the weekend – were instead quiet and empty.
The Jerusalem Post asked Jerusalem’s residents, in and around the market, to describe their feelings about the return of the four slain hostages.
All four were residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Kfir was the youngest hostage, aged just nine months at the time, whilst Oded was one of the oldest, at 84 years old.
“Ein milim,” said a group of young women the Post spoke to. “There are no words to describe this. It should never have happened. I think that’s the only possible way to explain it.”
“This is something that should have never ever happened,” a vendor said, standing at the front of his store with orange balloons floating next to him. “[He’s] a child; [he] doesn’t know hate; [he] doesn’t know love. He needs love.”
The orange balloons have continuously been used as a symbol of solidarity for the red-headed Bibas children, used to mark the first and second birthdays of Kfir, and the fifth birthday of Ariel Bibas, during their time in captivity.
“Something [that should] not happen to any child, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or anybody. This is a very terrible thing. The world should know [how] Israel is suffering every day,” the vendor added.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said another vendor, adding, “I was holding onto hope even though I knew it was likely not going to end well. It was such sad news yesterday.”
The news of the three Bibases was so distressing for many of the people they spoke to that many declined to interview with the Post.
The hostage release
The hostages were released by Hamas on Thursday morning in a ceremony that involved the placing of the four coffins on a stage in front of large Gazan crowds.
On the backdrop of the stage was a banner in which the photos of Lifshitz, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas appeared. Above them was an image of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu depicted as a vampire.
Accompanying the image was the inscription in Arabic, English, and dubious Hebrew: "War criminal Netanyahu & his army killed them with missiles and Zionist warplanes."
The coffins were transferred to the Red Cross, and then to the IDF, who repatriated them to Israel.
The four coffins have since arrived at the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir for identification.