Former Israeli-Argentine hostage Yarden Bibas, released by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on February 1 after having been held captive in Gaza since October 7, 2023, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to do everything possible to bring back his wife and two children - who are feared dead - and the remaining 76 people still held captive.
In his first statement to the press since his release, Bibas said: “Prime Minister Netanyahu, I am now addressing you with my own words, which no one has dictated to me: Bring my family back. Bring my friends back. Bring everyone home.”
In the statement, Bibas refers to his wife Shiri, also Argentine, and his two sons, Kfir and Ariel, aged two and five respectively, who are believed dead since Hamas has not released them in the first four exchanges.
Bibas also called on the Israeli people to continue doing “everything possible” to secure the release of the captives and to continue “the struggle” until their return is realized within the framework of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“I knew that the people of Israel come together in times of disaster, but I never knew to what extent (….),” Yarden said in an emotional message. “They told me everything they did for me and my family, and ‘thank you’ is not enough to express my gratitude,” he said, while praising the Israeli soldiers, whom he called “heroes.”
“Unfortunately, my family has not yet come back to me. They are still there. My light is still there and as long as they are there, everything here will be dark. Thanks to you I came back; (but) help me bring light back to my life,” the father urged.
The names of their relatives are among the 33 hostages to be exchanged in the first 42-day phase, of whom eight are dead, Hamas said without giving names.
The fact that neither his wife nor his two children, including Kfir - the youngest hostage kidnapped who was only nine months old in October 2023 - have yet to be released raises fears that all three are dead, as Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, already announced in November 2023, something Israel has not been able to confirm.
I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS GOVERNMENT HAS NOT PRESSURED TO RELEASE THE BIBAS AND I HOPE THEY ARE OK, OTHERWISE, ISRAEL SHOULD RELEASE THE LEADERS THAT HAMAS WANTS IN THE SAME STATE AS THE BIBAS FAMILY IS IN.