We received tragic confirmation today that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, along with 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz, were murdered in captivity in Gaza.
Their bodies are expected to be returned to Israel tomorrow.
Ariel and Kfir, with their distinctive red hair, became two of the most well-known hostages held in Gaza, and were also the two youngest. Kfir was just nine months old when he was taken.
The children were kidnapped with their mother by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, as the world saw in a video that the terrorists recorded and published.
The terror in Shiri's eyes is heartbreaking, and the video is painful to watch.
Shiri's husband and the children's father, Yarden, was kidnapped separately on October 7 and released on February 1 as part of the hostage deal.
It is difficult to imagine the pain and grief he and the entire Bibas family must now be experiencing.
The people of Israel, along with millions around the world, are grieving with them tonight.
As Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a Hebrew address tonight, "Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for the State of Israel. A wrenching day, a day of grief... We embrace the families, and the heart of the entire nation is torn. My own heart is torn. So is yours."
The murder of Shiri and her children is a horrific reminder of Hamas' true nature: It is a genocidal terrorist group that wants to wipe Israel off the map and murder every Jewish man, woman and child living there.
Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in power in Gaza.
Also being returned tomorrow is the body of Oded Lifshitz, a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Yarden, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir also lived.
Oded spent his life advocating for peace, regularly driving Palestinians from Gaza to receive medical treatment in Israeli hospitals.
Oded was shot in the arm by Hamas on October 7 and taken hostage into Gaza alongside his wife, Yocheved. The terrorists then burned their home to the ground.
Yocheved was released alive in October 2023, and will now have to bury her husband.
73 hostages, including 5 Americans, are still held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Iran, Qatar and Turkey to release the hostages.
Qatari emir visits Iran to strengthen relations
The emir of Qatar arrived in Iran today for meetings with Iran’s president and other officials to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries, according to Iranian media.
Qatar and Iran are both key supporters of Hamas.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Tehran today.
Ongoing tensions between Egypt and Israel
Diplomatic tensions between Egypt and Israel are growing, according to a new report in the Jewish Insider.
Egypt has moved tanks, military equipment and personnel into the Sinai and constructed three new airfields there.
The Egyptian Army has also deployed tanks near the Gaza border to stop Palestinians from leaving the enclave.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter warned last month that, "Egypt is in very serious violation of our peace agreement in the Sinai, and this is an issue which is going to come to the fore because it is not a tolerable situation."
The ICRC's participation in Hamas propaganda
While Israelis and Americans have been held hostage in Gaza for 16 months, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not visited them a single time, and made essentially no effort to monitor their well-being or deliver medication to them.
Since the current hostage deal began, ICRC officials have participated in Hamas propaganda, shaking hands with Hamas terrorists as they paraded emaciated Israeli hostages across a stage.
Members of Congress have taken note of this and are talking about reassessing America's funding to the ICRC.
Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) said: "Participating in Hamas’s propaganda ceremonies definitely calls into question their supposed neutrality. Seems like the ICRC is more concerned about their public image than actually fulfilling their mission to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict."
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