Photo by
Gideon Markowicz/TPS-IL on 26 February, 2025
‘I’m Sorry I Couldn’t Protect You’: Yarden Bibas Says Farewell to His Murdered Family
Jerusalem, 26 February, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israelis carrying blue and white flags, orange balloons and signs of all colors lined streets and packed a Tel Aviv square on Wednesday to say farewell to Shiri Bibas and her two sons who became symbols of Hamas brutality. Yarden Bibas, who was recently freed from Gaza, eulogized the three in an emotional funeral.
The three were laid to rest in Zohar, near the family’s home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Shiri Bibas and her husband, Yarden, and sons Ariel and Kfir were abducted from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7. At just nine-months-old, the red-haired Kfir was the youngest hostage. Ariel was four.
“I remember the first time I said ‘Mi amor‘ to you,” said Yarden Bibas, eulogizing his wife and two sons. “It was at the very beginning of our relationship. You told me to call you that only if I was certain I loved you, not to say it carelessly. I didn’t say it then because I didn’t want you to think I was rushing to say ‘I love you.’ Shiri, I’ll confess to you now that I already loved you back then when I said, ‘Mi amor.‘”
Yarden recalled the October 7 attack, the last time he saw Shiri, Ariel and Kfir.
“Do you remember our last decision? In the shelter, I asked you, Do we fight or surrender? You said, We fight, so I fought. Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. If only I had known what was going to happen, I wouldn’t have fired a shot.”
Addressing the children, he said, “Ariel, I hope you are not angry at me for not being able to protect you properly, for not being there for you. I hope you know that I thought about you every single day, every single minute. I hope you are enjoying yourself in heaven. I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh with your jokes and impressions.”
Referring to Kfir, Yarden said, “You brought even more light and happiness into our little home. You came with your sweet, infectious laughter, and I was hooked instantly! It was impossible not to snuggle you all the time. Kfir, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better, but I need you to know that I love you so much, and I miss you terribly!”
Shiri and the boys were expected to be released along with 105 other women and children during the temporary ceasefire of November 2023. On November 29, Hamas claimed the three had been killed in an Israeli airstrike but provided no evidence. Israeli pathologists confirmed that the three were murdered in November 2023, adding that there was no evidence to indicate they died in an airstrike.
Yarden was freed on Feb. 1.
All four were Israeli-Argentine nationals. Argentine President Javier Milei declared two days of national mourning.
Israelis draped in flags or holding orange balloons lined the route of the 100-km funeral procession. Others gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to watch a livestream of the funeral. The color orange was reminiscent of Ariel and Kfir’s bright-colored hair; the Knesset building, the President’s residence and Ben Gurion Airport were among the public buildings lit up in orange. Some people at the square came dressed as Batman, who Ariel loved.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 63 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.
