The surviving member of the Bibas family, Yarden, shared a poignant eulogy at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Wednesday for the burial of his wife, Shiri, and their two children, Ariel and Kfir who were murdered by the hands of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Yarden recalled his deep love for Shiri, remembering their first moments together and their bond as best friends, a wife, and a mother. He expressed deep sorrow and regret for not being able to protect them, especially during the tragic events on Oct. 7 when Gazans snatched them from their home.

“I remember the first time I said ‘Mi amor‘ to you,” he said. “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 wwas rushing to say ‘I love you.” Shiri, I’ll confess to you no that I already loved you back then when I said, ‘Mi amor.‘”

Yarden was released on Feb. 1 as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were buried together in a single casket. Shiri’s sister and other family members paid their respects at the memorial ceremony. Addressing Shiri, Ariel and Kfir as well as her parents, who were also murdered on Oct. 7, Dana Silberman Sitton, Shiri’s sister, said: “Please send energies here to drive all evil from the world and leave only goodness. I promise you, as I promised mom and dad, that the monsters beyond the fence will not succeed in their mission. They will not defeat us; they will not break us.”

Thousands of Israelis lined the funeral procession route, with many wearing orange, which has become the symbol of the Bibas family, with the two children having bright orange hair.

The bodies were driven from Rishon Lezion to the Tekuma Region near the Gaza Strip, where Kibbutz Nir Oz is situated, for the private funeral service, which was broadcast live online and on national TV outlets.

The Knesset was illuminated in orange on Tuesday night in remembrance of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir.
On Wednesday morning, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana commenced the day’s plenum session with a moment of silence honoring the Bibas family, Oded Lifshitz and all those who lost their lives on Oct. 7 and in the subsequent war.
To countless Israelis and others, the Bibas family personified the plight of the 251 hostages that Hamas abducted on Oct. 7, and the brutality of its terrorists. Hamas claimed the mother and her children were killed by Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip, but forensic evidence has refuted that claim, showing that they were murdered in cold blood, with the “bare hands” of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
“The heart of the nation is shattered by the abduction and brutal murder of Shiri and her children—Ariel and Kfir, may their memory be a blessing,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday after Hamas returned Shiri’s body.
Hamas was to have returned her remains on Thursday together with those of her children, but DNA testing found that the body returned was not hers. The terrorist group returned Shiri’s body on Saturday.
“The warm embrace, the love and the strength that you have sent us from all over Israel and the world strengthen us and accompany us during these moments of crisis,” added Yaden Bibas in his statement. “We sense the open hearts, the enormous embrace, your pain alongside our pain—which we don’t take for granted.”
Here is the English translation of Yarden’s eulogy, which was delivered in Hebrew, provided by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum:
“Mi Amor“
I remember the first time I said “Mi amor” to you. 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.“
Shiri, I love you and will always love you!
Shiri, you are everything to me!
You are the best wife and mother there could be.
Shiri, you are my best friend.
Mishmish, who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you?
Do you remember our last decision together?
In the safe room, I asked if we should “fight or surrender.” You said fight, so I fought.
Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all. If only I had known what would happen, I wouldn’t have fired.
I think about everything we went through together—there are so many beautiful memories.
I remember Ariel and Kfir’s births. I remember the days we would sit at home or in a café, just the two of us, talking for hours about everything under the sun. It was wonderful. I miss those times deeply.
Your presence is profoundly missed.
I want to tell you about everything that’s happening in the world and here in Israel.
Shiri, everyone knows and loves us—you can’t imagine how surreal all this madness is.
Shiri, people tell me they’ll always be by my side, but they’re not you. So please stay close to me and don’t go far!
Shiri, this is the closest I’ve been to you since October 7th, and I can’t kiss or hug you, and it’s breaking me!
Shiri, please watch over me…
Protect me from bad decisions. Shield me from harmful things and protect me from myself. Guard me so I don’t sink into darkness.
Mishmish, I love you!

Chuki, Ariel,
You made me a father. You transformed us into a family.
You taught me what truly matters in life and about responsibility.
The day you were born, I matured instantly because of you. You taught me so much about myself, and I want to thank you.
So thank you, my beloved.
Ariel, I hope you’re not angry with me for failing to protect you properly and for not being there for you. I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute.
I hope you’re enjoying paradise. I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh with your silly jokes and impressions. I hope there are plenty of butterflies for you to watch, just like you did during our picnics.
Chuki, be careful when you climb down from your cloud not to step on Toni…
Teach Kfir all your impressions and make everyone laugh up there.
Ariel, I love you “the most in the world, always in the world,” just as you used to tell us.
Poopik, Kfir,
I didn’t think our family could be more perfect, and then you came and made it even more perfect…
I remember your birth. I remember during the delivery when the midwife suddenly stopped everything—we were frightened and thought something was wrong—but it was just to tell us we had another redhead. Mom and I laughed and rejoiced.
You brought more light and happiness to our little home. You came with your sweet, captivating laugh and smile, and I was instantly hooked!
It was impossible not to nibble on you all the time.
Kfir, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better, but I need you to know that I love you deeply and miss you terribly!
I miss nibbling on you and hearing your laughter.
I miss our morning games when mom would ask me to watch you before I went to work. I cherished those little moments so much, and I miss them now more than ever!
Kfir, I love you the most in the world, always in the world!
I have so many more things to tell you all, but I’ll save them for when we’re alone. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}