Israel has demanded that Hamas provide clear information regarding the condition of hostages Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who are currently being held by the Palestinian terror group in Gaza, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.
The Bibas family is expected to be part of the ongoing first phase of the ceasefire and hostage agreement that halted the war that Hamas initiated in October 2023. Under this deal, women and children are to be released first, while bodies will be handed over at a later stage. Concerns about the well-being of the Bibas family have increased as they were not among the first hostages to be released. Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, who was abducted separately, is scheduled to be freed later in this phase.
Hamas has reported that 18 out of the 26 hostages yet to be returned in this phase are alive but has not given further details on their condition. The Bibas family remains one of the most high-profile groups still held in Gaza. The two boys, Ariel (5) and Kfir (2), are the last children being held there, following the release of over 100 hostages in November 2023 as part of a deal that began to free hostages seized by Hamas during the deadly attack the previous month, in which approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed.

Initially, Hamas claimed the children had been killed along with their mother, but Israel said it was investigating the “cruel” claim and has not confirmed it. The IDF has since stated that it has no intelligence confirming their status.
No signs of life from the children have been reported since their abduction, when they, along with their mother Shiri, became early symbols of the violence. A video showing Shiri carrying her children while being taken by terrorists quickly garnered widespread attention due to her visible distress, the children’s red hair, and Kfir’s young age—just 10 months old at the time, making him the youngest Israeli taken by Hamas. After declaring the family’s deaths in November 2023, Hamas later released a video of Yarden, who had been told his family was dead. In February 2024, the IDF uncovered more footage showing the abduction of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, captured by surveillance cameras in Khan Younis.
Now, the Israeli government is demanding a clear answer about their status to share with their family, multiple outlets reported. IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari expressed last week that there are “grave concerns” for the lives of Shiri and her children.
The family of the Bibas trio continues to hold on to hope that they will be returned from captivity in Gaza, despite the fact that Shiri and the children should have been among the first seven civilian hostages released in the past 10 days. In a statement, the family said, “We said then, and we say now: We hold on to hope and continue waiting for their return. We await clarity regarding their condition.”
Their hopes were crushed on Shabbos when the Bibas family was excluded from a list of hostages meant to be released that day. Hamas announced the release of four female soldiers—Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, and Karina Ariev—in violation of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which stipulates that civilian women and children should be prioritized for release.
Following the release of the four soldiers, IDF spokesman Hagari pointed out that Hamas had breached the agreement by not releasing all civilian women first. He added that Israel would ensure the release of civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud, who Israel believes is still alive, along with Shiri Bibas and her children. Yehoud is scheduled to be released on Thursday, and a video showing a sign of life from her has been released, although her family requested that it not be published. Two other hostages, Agam Berger and Gadi Mozes, are also expected to be returned. However, there has been no update on the Bibas family’s situation.
{Matzav.com Israel}