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Thousands of Israelis, gripped by deep sorrow, converged along the highways of southern Israel, clutching orange balloons and waving national flags, to honor the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her redheaded sons, Ariel and Kfir—three hostages tragically slain while held captive in Gaza, their loss reverberating through a nation still wrestling with the aftermath.
Major Israeli television networks broadcast the poignant scenes live, capturing the somber journey, and later aired the family’s heartfelt eulogies following a private burial, drawing crowds to Tel Aviv’s Hostages’ Square, where large screens relayed the words of mourning to a sea of onlookers united in grief.
“This little family carved a place in my soul—and, I suspect, in the souls of us all,” Neta, a woman who journeyed from Israel’s north, shared with Channel 12, her voice tinged with emotion as she explained her pilgrimage to bid a final farewell to the Bibas trio during the procession.
“I set out this morning at 04:30. I saw that I couldn’t fall asleep, so I headed south. I wanted to come here to be as close as possible to the Gaza border communities, to be part of this farewell.”
Kfir, aged nine months, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was the youngest of the 251 hostages snatched in the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks. His brother, Ariel, was just four.
Images of the two boys became among the most recognisable symbols of the struggle to return the hostages.
There was deep anguish in Israel at the sight of Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband, being released by Hamas at the start of this month without his immediate family.
Read also: Israel Pauses Prisoner Release After Gaza Hostages Rescued
On Wednesday, Yarden Bibas paid tribute to Shiri, who was 32, as “the most amazing wife and mother”, saying he would always love her.
“I want to tell you everything that’s happening in the world and here in Israel,” he went on. “Shiri, everyone knows us and loves us. You have no idea how surreal this madness is.”
Wearing an orange kippah, or skullcap, he shared touching memories of his children and spoke of how he and his wife had been happily surprised on giving birth to their second red-headed boy.
The Israeli president’s residence was lit up in orange – the colour that has come to represent the family.
At the procession’s start, the Bibas family thanked Israelis for their show of support and expressed longing for days “when we can once again gather in moments of joy, not sorrow”.
Wrapped in an orange flag to watch the convoy of cars passing en route to the cemetery, Shontal expressed sympathy with the bereaved.
She told members of the press that she had wanted to come and be close to them, to offer her condolences to Yarden and the family. She expressed hope that he would manage to recover—not only from the captivity he had endured but also from coming to terms with and understanding this terrible tragedy. She added that his tragedy was a shared one for all of them.
