The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had engaged in communication with members of the Bibas family following a claim made by the military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas alleged that three members of the Israeli family, namely Shiri Bibas and her two children, 4-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir, were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated that the IDF was currently assessing the reliability of the information provided.
The armed wing of Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel, announced on social media that the three civilians had previously been killed by Israeli Defense Forces strikes. However, no further details regarding their alleged deaths were disclosed. CBS News has not been able to independently verify this claim.
Hagari emphasized that "IDF representatives have spoken with the members of the Bibas family, informed them of the publication, and are currently offering them support and assistance." He further added that "the responsibility for the safety of all the abductees in the Gaza Strip lies solely with the terrorist organization Hamas."
In response, the Bibas family released a statement acknowledging the claims and expressed their hope that military officials would confirm and ultimately refute the information.
Around 160 individuals are still believed to be held captive in Gaza following the brutal terror rampage carried out by Hamas militants on October 7th. The Bibas children, who were captured along with their parents during the Hamas raids on Israeli communities near the Gaza border, have become powerful symbols of this ongoing crisis. Video clips allegedly captured by the militants showed the Bibas family being seized during the attack. While Hamas has claimed that hostages it was holding were killed by Israeli missile and airstrikes, no proof of these killings has been provided. In fact, some individuals who were previously declared dead have been found to be alive. On Tuesday night in Tel Aviv, hundreds of people gathered to demand the release of all remaining hostages. Many of the demonstrators, including an aunt of the Bibas children, carried images of the young boys and orange balloons to show solidarity with them.
During an interview on "CBS Mornings" Wednesday, Yifat Zailer revealed that the hair color of the Bibas children was inherited from their late grandfather, who was tragically killed by Hamas militants on October 7. This revelation came before Hamas claimed responsibility for the death of the Bibas family.
Zailer described the situation as surreal and a nightmare. The claim by Hamas was made just hours before the expiration of the extended cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, which has temporarily halted the fighting since November 24.
The IDF reported that an additional 12 hostages were released by Hamas on Tuesday night, bringing the total number of freed hostages to 86 as part of the truce agreement. In exchange, Israel has released approximately 180 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has expressed interest in negotiating a new agreement with Israel to extend the pause in fighting and secure the release of more hostages. However, Israel has not confirmed any ongoing discussions. The negotiations are being facilitated by Qatar in Doha.
Although the recently released hostages have not spoken to the media, their relatives have started to share harrowing details. Sharon Calderon, the aunt of Sahar and Erez, two hostages recently freed, revealed that they had been kept in darkness without exposure to sunlight.
According to Efrat Michikawa, the niece of one of the hostages released, the experience has changed her aunt's life forever. She mentioned that although her aunt is physically the same, nothing will ever be the same as it was before.
In the videos of the hostage release, Hamas militants tried to portray themselves as caring and gentle. While some hostages have reported being treated decently, there have also been distressing stories.
The aunt of 12-year-old Eytan Yahalomi shared that he was beaten by civilians upon his arrival in Gaza and was forced to watch videos of the Oct. 7 massacres. She also claimed that the militants pointed guns at child hostages when they cried.
