With "profound sorrow and unbearable pain," the Hostages Families Forum confirmed the murder of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas after their bodies were returned on Thursday.
The forum also said it was "horrified and devastated by the news that their mother, Shiri, was not returned—despite the agreement and our desperate hopes."
"The horrific events of the past 24 hours only underscore the desperate need to accelerate efforts, act decisively, and above all—bring them all home," the forum added.
This comes after Israel's forensic investigations that while three of the four bodies were returned, the body of Shiri Bibas was, in fact, not her body, not that of another hostage. Hamas confirmed on Friday that it had not returned Shiri to Israel.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, the former home of all four hostages, echoed the words of the forum, "Despite our grief, we hold steadfast to our values and the clear demands of the Bibas family—release, not revenge."
"The state must do everything in its power to return Shiri through any means necessary, but in a way that does not jeopardize the continuation of the deal and the release of all hostages," the kibbutz added.
Politicians speak out
President Isaac Herzog expressed his devastation, saying, "These are extremely difficult days. We prayed, cried out, and hoped that this tragic news would not come. And now it has arrived in the most horrific way possible: the bodies of innocent and pure-hearted Ariel and Kfir have been identified, while their loving mother, Shiri, has not returned. This is a shocking and horrifying breach of the agreement."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the "destruction of Hamas."
"Hamas’s grave violation and ongoing abuse cannot go unanswered. Nor can the undeniable fact that they mercilessly murdered Ariel and Kfir while in captivity. The only solution is Hamas’s annihilation, and this must not be delayed," Smotrich stated.
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri said, "Our hearts break over the tragic news of the murder of the beloved children, Ariel Bibas, age four, and his infant brother Kfir, just nine months old. May God avenge their blood, who were abducted and brutally murdered by Hamas monsters."
"Hamas has compounded its crimes with a horrifying, cynical act by keeping their mother, Shiri Bibas, in captivity. The world must look at this atrocity with open eyes, understand the depth of this evil, and stand unequivocally with Israel in its struggle against murderous terrorism. Even as our pain is unfathomable, we remain united and determined to bring back all our hostages, both the living and the fallen, and to strike Hamas with an iron fist, with God’s help. May the memory of these innocent children be a blessing forever," Deri continued.
Health Minister Uriel Busso stated, "I send my deepest condolences to the Lifshitz family and to Yarden Bibas and his relatives, who lost their loved ones—Oded, Ariel, and Kfir—in an unimaginable act of cruelty. Our hearts are with them in these difficult moments."