Bibas family tragedy can never be forgotten amid Hamas propaganda
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz and kidnapped the Bibas family.
First, Yarden was taken. His wife, Shiri, and their young children, Kfir and Ariel, followed soon after.
For over a year, the world watched as Hamas paraded these innocent victims in front of cameras, using their suffering as a weapon in its psychological warfare.
During my recent trip to Israel, I visited Kibbutz Nir Oz, standing at the doorstep of the Bibas family home.
The walls of their safe room – meant to protect them – were marked with bullet holes, silent witnesses to the terror they endured.
The images of this once-peaceful community turned war zone are seared into my memory.
A children’s park where they will never again play. A school they will never attend.
Australian leaders like Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and the Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton also visited the kibbutzim and witnessed first-hand the devastation left by Hamas’s cruelty.
When Yarden was first taken, he had no idea what had happened to his family. Kept alone in a tunnel cell, isolated and starved, he lost more than 15kg.
In a cruel attempt to torment him, Hamas told Yarden that his wife and children had been killed in an air strike.
Later, they lied again, claiming to have seen them alive in Tel Aviv – more lies to keep him in emotional turmoil.
When Yarden was finally freed, his first question was, “Where is Shiri and the boys?”
At that point, the truth was still hidden.
Soon after, Hamas claimed to have the bodies of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel and promised to return them. But even in death, Hamas continued to use the Bibas family for propaganda.
The bodies were paraded in a grotesque ceremony, with Palestinian children invited to witness the spectacle.
Forensic tests later revealed the horrifying truth: Kfir and Ariel had been murdered in Hamas captivity in November 2023. They were killed with deliberate, brutal force.
The manipulation didn’t stop there. One of the bodies Hamas claimed to be Shiri’s turned out not to be hers at all, revealing just how deep their cruelty and deception ran.
This was not a case of wartime casualties; this was cold, systematic brutality.
The treatment of the Bibas family reflects the true nature of Hamas.
It is an organisation that thrives on the exploitation of innocent lives, using terror to control and destroy.
Hostages released from Hamas captivity have shared stories of starvation, beatings, sexual violence, and constant threats of death. This is not warfare – it is organised cruelty.
Hamas’s reign of terror in Gaza has brought only suffering to its civilian population, while its leadership has enriched itself at the expense of the very people it claims to represent.
Rather than building schools and hospitals, Hamas constructs terror tunnels, uses civilian structures as military bases, and diverts humanitarian aid to fuel its war machine.
This is the true face of Hamas: an organisation that exploits its own people to further its agenda of violence.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of their cruelty, Hamas still finds apologists in the West. Politicians and activists – whether through ignorance or malice – try to justify or downplay their actions.
To defend Hamas is to defend barbarism. It perpetuates the suffering of innocent lives and undermines any hope for peace.
As I write this, 63 hostages remain hostage in Hamas tunnels. These innocent lives are still in captivity, and we must do everything in our power to bring them home.
Every moment of delay means more suffering for them and their families. We must stand united in demanding their immediate release.
As a father and grandfather, I am devastated. The grief of being so far from my family, on a day like this, when the weight of the loss is so overwhelming, is an unbearable burden.
No parent or grandparent should ever have to face the unimaginable pain that Yarden and his family have endured.
But as we stand together today, we remember their lives, their innocence, and the cruelty that stole them away far too soon.
The tragedy of the Bibas family must serve as a wake-up call.
Shiri, Kfir, Ariel, and all the victims of Hamas’s terror deserve justice.
Their story – and the stories of countless others – remind us of the stakes in this fight. The murder of innocent children and their mother cannot be tolerated.
Hamas’s reign of terror must end.
If the international community is truly committed to justice, if it truly cares about innocent lives, it must act.
It must do more than simply state that Hamas has no future in Gaza. It must support efforts to dismantle Hamas and demand the unconditional release of all hostages.
Only when Hamas is eradicated can there be hope for peace. The path to a future without fear begins with the end of Hamas’s reign of terror.
As we mourn the loss of the Bibas family today, we are reminded of the urgency to act decisively. No more families should endure what Yarden and his family have suffered. Only then can we hope for a future of peace and coexistence.
I dread watching the funeral today. Just like all of Israel, there will not be one dry eye as we say goodbye to Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel – victims of a senseless and brutal terror.
The pain of losing them, and the profound injustice of their deaths, is something that will stay with us forever.
On this difficult day, I have a small personal request. As you go about your day, I ask you to remember the Bibas family by wearing something orange.
Let it serve as a reminder to others of the cruelty they suffered, and as a symbol of our commitment to stand against the terror of Hamas.
Amir Maimon is the ambassador of Israel to Australia
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Today, as we prepare to lay Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas to rest, our hearts are filled with profound grief and anger. Their loss is a painful reminder of the barbarity we are facing.