THE FAMILY of a mum and her two sons held captive by Hamas in Gaza are in “turmoil” as the terror group claimed they are dead and their bodies will be sent back to Israel.
Ariel Bibas, five, and his baby brother Kfir, two, were snatched with their mother Shiri, 33, during the terrorist group’s bloody rampage on October 7.
Their father Yarden, 35, was also taken after Hamas brutes smashed him over the head with a hammer.
Shiri’s despairing face as she was kidnapped clutching her two children became a symbol for the horror of Oct 7.
And meanwhile Kfir’s adorable smile gave hope as the whole world pleaded for their safe return.
But now Hamas appear to have confirmed the worst – saying the trio’s dead bodies will be released along with six living hostages on Thursday.
Israel have yet to confirm the identities of those to be released.
The Bibas family released a statement shortly after Hamas’ claim saying they are “in turmoil”.
“Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over,” the family said.
Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the boys’ father, was freed earlier on February 1.
He spent 484 days in Gaza’s terror tunnels on his own, as he was quickly separated from his family.
Relatives had not had proof of life for months even for Shiri and the boys.
And they had been fearing the worst when the terror group claimed that she and the children had been killed in an Israeli air strike and all other child hostages were released.
But there was no proof that they were dead so the family clung to the slim hope that they were alive as they campaigned for their freedom.
That hope was extinguished with confirmation that the mother and boys – who had been on the list for release in the first six-week phase of the ceasefire – were dead.
The family sheltered inside their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas fiends rampaged through southern Israel on October 7.
They kept anxious relatives elsewhere in Israel updated by text message as gunmen stormed through neighbours’ homes.
At 9.43am accountant Yarden messaged his sister, occupational therapist Ofri Bibas Levy, 38, to say: “They’re coming in.”
She never heard from him again.
A short time later a horrific video emerged of Shiri looking utterly terrified and crying as she clung to her two sons while Hamas gunmen led them away from the family home.
Moments later Yarden was smashed over the head with a hammer and with blood streaming down his face was hauled to Gaza, also captured on camera and posted online.
On the one year anniversary of the massacre – when relatives were still praying for the family’s safe return – Ofri told The Sun: “The last year has been a nightmare.
“I could never imagine something like that would happen to me and my family.
“We live every day with a constant feeling of fear – and uncertainty.
“It’s the not knowing which is the worst – are they alive? Are they dead? Are they being tortured?
“Did they get to eat today, something to drink? When was the last time they even saw sunlight?”
After the terror group claimed that Shiri and the boys were dead, she said: “It was a real shock to hear that but after a few days we thought okay, they say that, but we don’t know for sure.
“And even if there is a 1% chance of that not being true, we decided as a family that we’re going to keep fighting and keep demanding and keep shouting for them.
“That keeps us able to still hope in some way.”
Photos from brighter times before October 7 show a typical, happy family, the young boys laughing and smiling as they play with each other and their parents.
In one cute snap, the parents and their sons cuddle up on a sofa all wearing Batman outfits.
Before they received the tragic news, Ofri said: “Ariel is a fully energetic boy who loves tractors and vehicles and superheroes and playing with any kind of water.
“His red head gets a lot of attention everywhere he goes. But he’s also very shy.
“Kfir was a sweet baby, very cuddly and he loved to be tickled. He was very cute.
“Yarden and Shiri are the most amazing parents.”
Heartbreakingly, two-year-old Kfir never celebrated a birthday outside of Gaza.
The family had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for months to strike a ceasefire deal which would see the hostages return home.
They were delighted when it was finally signed but had mixed emotions because they still had no idea if the family was alive.
Israel announced it will receive the bodies of four hostages from Hamas on 20 February.
They did not release their names but said the families had been informed.
Tragically for the Bibas family, it was later confirmed that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were among the dead.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
