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Courtesy the family/TPS-IL on 25 February, 2025
Wings for Ariel: Butterfly Renamed to Honor Slain Hostage Child
Jerusalem, 4 April, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- The Academy of Hebrew Language notified former hostage Yarden Bibas it was changing the name of the “Ketmit Jerusalem” butterfly to “Ketmit Ariel,” after his four-year-old son, Ariel, who was taken captive by Hamas and murdered in Gaza.
“It was unanimously decided to change the name of the butterfly ‘Ketmit Jerusalem’ to ‘Ketmit Ariel,’ after your butterfly-loving son,” the Academy said in a letter.
“We believed that of all the orange butterflies of our country, this butterfly in particular deserves to bear the name Ariel, as it is one of the names of Jerusalem. May this be some consolation in your grief, and may his memory be a memory for all those who perished and fell in this great disaster.”
Melitaea ornata, commonly known as the Eastern Knapweed Fritillary butterfly, displays a complex checkerboard pattern of orange, black, and white on its wings. It is found in Israel, parts of the Middle East, as well as Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Ariel was abducted along with is parents, Yarden and Shiri Bibas, and his brother Kfir from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’ October 7 attack. The nine-month-old Kfir was the youngest hostage. All four were dual Israeli-Argentine nationals.
Yarden was freed in February as part of a ceasefire.
Before releasing the remains of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, Hamas paraded the coffins across a stage in central Gaza along with the remains of hostage Oded Lifshitz. A forensic examination found that terrorists had murdered Ariel and Kfir with their bare hands. The bodies were also mutilated in attempt to make it look like the two had been killed in an airstrike. The remains purporting to be Shiri’s did not match. Hamas released Shiri’s remains the following day.
Shiri and the boys were laid to rest near their kibbutz. In a departure from custom, the three were buried in a single casket.
Many Israelis lining the roads of the funeral procession held orange balloons reminiscent of Ariel and Kfir’s orange hair.
At least 1,180 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 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.
