Youngest Israeli Hostage Turns 1, Family Pleads Hamas To Release Him

An Israeli infant celebrated his first birthday in Hamas captivity in Gaza on Thursday. Kfir Bibas is the youngest of the 253 hostages held by Hamas since October 7, serving as a grim reminder of the plight of innocent children in war. The baby boy was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel along with his parents Yarden and Shiri, and his four-year-old brother Ariel. His family gathered in Tel Aviv to commemorate the day as "The saddest birthday in the world."

CNN reported that a large crowd gathered in central Tel Aviv, which has come to be known as the "Hostages Plaza" holding orange balloons to remember baby Bibas' red hair. A screen displayed the number of hostages-- 103-- that are still held in Gaza, even after the temporary ceasefire in late November. 

Kfir Bibas: Youngest Hamas Hostage

The colour orange has become symbolic for Israel since Kfir Bibas was taken hostage. Several rallies and events feature orange balloons to remember the baby boy, whose family back home does not even know if he is alive. On his birthday, Bibas was mentioned by Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the World Economic Forum, addressing the Hamas hostage situation.

Speaking to CNN, Bibas' cousin Jimmy Miller said, “Kfir Bibas is not the enemy of the Hamas. The Hamas don’t have any rules. Not even from the Quran, because the Quran does not do any damage to kids… so Hamas breaks all the rules of Islam." The family held an event at Nir Oz on Tuesday, commemorating Bibas' birthday with a large balloon display and a cake featuring the famous photo of Kfir with the pink elephant.

Uncertainty On Bibas Family

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the situation of the Bibas family of four since they were taken hostage on October 7. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a while believed that they were being held hostage by other militia groups and not by Hamas.  However, later that week, Hamas claimed that the baby, his mother, and his brother were killed in an Israeli airstrike. 

Since there was no evidence of this, the IDF said at that time that it was assessing the claim. Hamas then released a video of Yarden Bibas, Kfir’s father, in which he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the death of his wife and two children. However, reports claim that he was speaking under duress.

The IDF called the video a “cruel act of psychological terror which Hamas is using against families of hostages.” So far, there is no confirmation on the situation of the Bibas family, and Israelis are awaiting some credible information on their return to safety.