Over 480 days after being held captive by Hamas, Yarden Bibas, father of the youngest hostage held by the group, has returned to Israel. His wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, remain unaccounted for in Gaza.
During a recent address to graduating combat officers, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed images of Shiri Bibas and her sons, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He urged the graduates to remember the family and the fight against those he termed "man-monsters" seeking Israel's annihilation. Netanyahu stated that Shiri and her children were murdered in cold blood in the early days of the conflict, and that Hamas strangled the young boys. He declared that Israel will defeat these "monsters."
Netanyahu affirmed that President Trump shares Israel's perspective on Gaza. He expressed support for Trump's plan for a transformed Gaza and thanked him for supplying vital weaponry to Israel. He also highlighted Israel's investment in developing its own weapon systems to bolster its defense capabilities.
The remains of the two young Bibas brothers were returned on Thursday, but the remains initially provided for Shiri were incorrect. After a standoff with Hamas, Shiri's actual remains were returned on Saturday and identified. The body of Oded Lifshitz, another resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz who Israel believes was killed in captivity, was also returned. The IDF stated that the condition of the boys' bodies confirmed they were murdered, contradicting Hamas's earlier claim that they died in an airstrike.
Netanyahu outlined his government’s objectives, stating that Israeli forces have significantly weakened Hamas's organized strength in Gaza. He vowed to achieve all war objectives, including the return of all abductees, the removal of Hamas from power in Gaza, and the demilitarization of the region. He indicated that this could be achieved through negotiation or other means.
Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, plans to return to the region to negotiate an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement. The second phase involves ensuring Hamas’s permanent removal from power in Gaza, which Witkoff predicts will require extensive reconstruction and will remain unsafe for years to come.
