Sharing in the Grief of the Bibas Family

On February 20 and 22, 2025, the bodies of Ariel and Kfir were returned to Israel. Forensic examinations indicated that the two children were brutally murdered by their captors in November 2023 and were not killed in an airstrike, as Hamas had claimed. IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Daniel Hagari stated that the terrorists killed the children by hand rather than by gunfire and then attempted to cover up their actions to blame Israel. Shiri’s body was returned to Israel on February 22, 2025, after Hamas initially provided a different body. Only after significant Israeli pressure was her real body returned.

The tragedy of the Bibas family shocked both the Israeli and international public, leading to widespread calls for the release of the hostages and the fight against terrorism.

On October 7, 2023, during the terrorist attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months), were kidnapped from their home by Palestinian terrorists. Kfir was the youngest of the hostages taken from Israel to the Gaza Strip during the attack. The father, Yarden Bibas, was kidnapped separately on the same day. Shiri’s parents, Yossi and Margit Silverman were murdered in the attack, and their bodies were identified two weeks later.

The abduction of the Bibas family on October 7, 2023, and the brutal murder of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, sparked widespread reactions worldwide. U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, after reviewing intelligence shared by Israel, stated: “The Bibas children were murdered by Hamas and were not mistakenly bombed. This is pure evil.” He added that “Hamas is the worst kind of terrorist organization” and emphasized the U.S. commitment to securing the release of all hostages held in Gaza.

Islamic terrorism continues to pose a global threat, with severe consequences worldwide. In recent years, Europe has experienced a series of deadly attacks, such as the terrorist attack in Nice, France, in July 2016, which killed 86 people, and the Manchester bombing in England in May 2017, where 22 people were killed, many of them children and teenagers.

Islamic terrorism is not limited to Europe alone; countries in South Asia, such as India and Pakistan, face ongoing threats from Islamic terrorist organizations, including the expansion of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) in the region. This expansion increases instability and leads to continuous violence.

The consequences of Islamic terrorism include not only the loss of human lives and injuries but also significant economic, social, and political impacts. Countries are forced to tighten security measures, invest substantial resources in counterterrorism efforts, and deal with intercommunal tensions and waves of refugees fleeing terror-stricken areas.

The fight against Islamic terrorism requires international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and strengthening security systems. Additionally, promoting education and tolerance is essential to prevent radicalization and enhance societal resilience against extremist ideologies.