JERUSALEM: The Israeli military has released new images and fears for a mother and her two boys – including the child who is Hamas’ youngest hostage in Gaza.
Hamas announced in November last year that all three were killed in an Israeli bombardment, but Israeli authorities have not confirmed the Palestinian militants’ claims.
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday that they were “concerning the welfare” of Shiri Bibas, who was seen on street camera in Khan Yunis, a city in southern Gaza, surrounded by seven armed men.
Hagari told media that Kfir Bibas is the youngest Israeli hostage and was “stolen from his crib” in the Nir Oz community when he was hardly nine months old, while his brother Ariel was just four years old at the time.
If Kfir Bibas were still alive, he would have turned one on January 18.
In a statement on Monday, other members of the Bibas family called Khan Yunis’ images “intolerable and inhumane” and called the child abduction a “crime against humanity and a war crime”.
“Ariel and Kfir are victims of a monstrous evil. Our entire family has been held hostage along with all the hostages,” they said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “these kidnappers of babies and mothers” would be called to action.
In response, Hamas-allied militants involved in the kidnapping said the trio had been kept safe and well-treated and held for more than 20 days, but were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
PM Netanyahu and his government were responsible and “deliberately” targeted the hostages, the Hamas allies added as they responded to the Israeli military’s statement.
Yarden Bibas, the boy’s father, who was also detained in the October 7 raids by Hamas militants, also appeared on the video.
Nir Oz in southern Israel was the scene of some of the bloodiest attacks on October 7, which left 1,160 dead, mostly civilians, according to media statistics based on Israeli figures.
In response, Israel vowed to “destroy” Hamas and carried out a relentless bombing and ground invasion that killed more than 29,000 people, mostly women and children.
Over 250 people were taken hostage, including more than 75 from Nir Oz. According to Israel, 130 hostages are still in Gaza, but 30 are believed to be dead.
