THE youngest Israeli hostage taken by Hamas has been confirmed dead alongside his brother and mother.
Israel has confirmed the horrific news after Hamas claimed on Tuesday that all three were dead which left the Bibas family in turmoil.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a statment that is received the list of four slain hostages which included Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas.
Their families have been notified, the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Netanyahu said: “In this difficult time, our hearts are with the grieving families.
“We will continue to provide reliable updates as needed and ask to refrain from spreading rumours or unofficial information.”
Kfir Bibas was less than a year old when he was kidnapped by terrorists on October 7.
His then four-year-old brother Ariel and his mother Shiri Bibas, 33, were also snatched in the bloody rampage.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced on Wednesday that all three were dead.
Also confirmed dead is Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist who was taken from his home in the same region.
A spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “We received the heart-shattering news that Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz are no longer with us.
“This news cuts like a knife through our hearts, the families’ hearts and the hearts of people all over the world.
“Oded was a journalist and peace activist who helped found Kibbutz Nir Oz.
“He dedicated his life to helping others and transporting sick Gazans to Israeli hospitals, and his grandchildren called him ‘Super Grandpa’ for his wisdom and love.
“Shiri was a dedicated mother and accountant, known for her boundless kindness, who nurtured and cared for all the kibbutz children.
“She touched everyone’s heart with her capacity for giving and love for others.
“Ariel, just four-year-old when kidnapped, loved Batman and playing with tractors in the garden.
“Baby Kfir, not-even-one-year-old when taken, had gorgeous red hair and a smile that could melt any person.
“They weren’t just names – they were beloved people, with families who cherished them, with dreams and futures stolen from them.
“We grieve not only for them, but for the other precious lives lost, including four more deceased hostages who will be returned next week.
“We will not rest. We will not stop fighting for every hostage who isn’t part of the current deal – for those still alive, clinging to survival, desperate to return to their loved ones and begin healing.
“And for those we know are deceased – their families deserve the dignity of closure, the basic right to give their loved ones a proper burial.
“This cannot continue. Not one more day. The second stage of the deal must happen NOW. There is no more time to waste.
“Not when every passing moment could mean another life lost, another family shattered. Bring them all home – NOW.”
It is not known when or how the four hostages died, though Hamas has claimed that they were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November.
The Bibas family had taken shelter inside their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas stormed the area.
Their father Yarden, 35, was also taken after Hamas brutes smashed him over the head with a hammer.
The bodies of the four hostages are set to return to Israel on Thursday, local media reports.
Netanyahu said in a video statement: “Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for the State of Israel — a shocking day, a day of grief.
“We are bringing home four of our beloved abductees, who have fallen.
“We embrace the families, and the heart of an entire nation is torn apart. My heart is torn. Yours is too.
“And the heart of the whole world should be torn as well, because here we see who we are dealing with, what we are dealing with — monsters.
“We mourn, we hurt, but we are also determined to ensure that such a thing never happens again.”
Hamas has said the bodies will be returned alongside six living hostages.
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