Kfir Bibas and his older brother, Ariel Bibas. CNN
Hamas has announced plans to release four Israeli hostages' bodies on Thursday, including Kfir and Ariel Bibas, the youngest captives. The group will also free six living hostages on Saturday, an increase from the originally expected three, according to Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.
Israel confirmed the agreement, stating that four deceased hostages would be returned Thursday and six living hostages on Saturday. Additionally, four more bodies are expected to be handed over next week.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum named the six individuals set to return Saturday: Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu. The forum expressed relief over their return but deep sorrow over the deaths of the other four captives.
Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu have been held in Gaza for nearly a decade after separately crossing the border in 2015 and 2014. Their families have long campaigned for their release.
Israel is expected to exchange Palestinian prisoners for the hostages, following the pattern of previous swaps. The announcement is the strongest indication yet that the Bibas children, kidnapped in October 2023 at nine months and four years old, are no longer alive. Israel has not officially confirmed their deaths or commented on Hamas’ statement.
An Egyptian source involved in negotiations confirmed that Egyptian, Qatari, Israeli, and U.S. officials helped secure the agreement. The release will conclude phase one of the hostage-ceasefire deal.
In November 2023, Hamas claimed Kfir and Ariel Bibas died in an Israeli airstrike along with their mother. They also released a video of their father, Yarden Bibas, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their deaths. Israeli officials at the time dismissed the video as psychological warfare. However, they later told the family that survival was uncertain. Yarden Bibas was freed alive on February 1.
The Bibas family has become a heartbreaking symbol of the October 7 attacks. Posters featuring Kfir’s image, showing the red-haired baby holding a pink elephant toy, have been widely displayed in Israel and beyond.
Hamas’ announcement coincided with Israel’s plans to start the second phase of hostage negotiations. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that talks could begin this week, with hopes of reaching a deal within the 42-day truce period. A long-term agreement remains under discussion.
