Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered to accompany Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas – who were murdered by Hamas terrorists after they were kidnapped in the October 7 attacks – as they were brought to their final resting place on Wednesday.
While the family asked the public not to attend the funeral itself, the public was invited to hold flags and gather along the roads where the funeral procession would pass to pay their respects. The eulogies at the funeral were live-streamed at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and other locations.
At Hostages Square and along the procession route, people held signs reading “forgive us” and orange balloons.
Throughout the week of the funeral, buildings across Israel and around the world were lit up in orange in honor of the Bibas’ whose red hair became a symbol within the movement to free the hostages.
Kfir and Ariel were the youngest hostages taken on Oct. 7, quickly becoming symbols of the plight of the hostages. Kfir was just nine months old during the attacks; Ariel was four years old. Shiri’s husband and the boys’ father, Yarden Bibas, was released alive at the beginning of February. Shiri’s parents, Yossi and Margit Silberman, were killed in the attack on Nir Oz on October 7th.
On Ariel’s grave, his friend Yoav Avital, who awaited his return, asked to leave a teddy bear and a drawing with the words “died at age 4” and “I am sad.”
‘Please watch over me’: Yarden Bibas eulogizes his family
Yarden eulogized his wife and his two sons, telling them “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
“I remember the first time I said ‘Mi Amor’ to you,” Yarden said about Shiri. “It was at the very beginning of our relationship. You told me to call you that only if I knew for sure that I loved you and not to just say it. So I didn’t say it because I didn’t want you to think I was rushing to say ‘I love you’. So Shiri, I’ll tell you that I loved you back then when I told you ‘Mi Amor’. I love you and I will always love you. You are everything to me. You are the best woman and mother there is. Shiri, you are my best friend.”
“Who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you? Do you remember our last decision? In the safe room, I asked you whether we were fighting or surrendering. You told me we were fighting. So I fought. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
“I want to tell you about everything that’s happening in the world and here in Israel. Everyone knows and loves us. You don’t understand how crazy all this madness is. People tell me that they will always be by my side, but they are not you. So please stay by my side and don’t go far. This is the closest I’ve been to you since Oct. 7 and I can’t kiss and hug you and it breaks me. Please watch over me. Watch over me from bad decisions. Watch over me from bad things and watch over me from myself. Watch over me from falling into darkness. I love you forever.”
About his oldest son, Ariel, Yarden said: “You made me a father. You made us a family. You taught me what’s really important in life and about responsibility. The day you were born, I grew up in an instant because of you. You taught me so much about myself and I want to say thank you. Thank you, my love. I hope you’re not mad at me for not being able to protect you properly and for not being there for you. I hope you know that I thought about you every day and every minute.”
“I hope you’re having a good time in heaven. I’m sure you make all the angels laugh with your antics and impersonations. I hope there are plenty of butterflies for you to look at like you did at our picnics…Teach Kfir all your impersonations and make everyone laugh up there. I love you ‘the most in the world forever in the world,’ just like you would tell us.”
About Kfir, he said: “Pupik (Kfir’s nickname), I didn’t think our family could be more perfect, and then you came along and made it even more perfect. I remember your birth. I remember in the middle of the birth the midwife stopped everything and we were scared. We were afraid something had happened. But it was just to tell us that we had another redhead. Mom and I laughed and were happy.”
“You brought more light and happiness into our little home. You came with your sweet, captivating laughter and smile and I was hooked in a second…Kfir, I’m sorry I didn’t take better care of you, but it’s important to me that you know that I love you very much and I miss you very much. I miss hearing you laugh. I miss our games in the morning when Mom would ask me to take care of you before I go to work. I loved those little moments so much and I miss them more than ever today. Kfir, I love you the most in the world, forever in the world.”
Three generations of Shiri’s family were lost on Oct. 7
Shiri’s sister Dana, the only member of the Silberman family to survive the attack, eulogized Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, saying “I’ve been preparing myself for this moment for a whole year. But nothing prepared me well enough for the moment of saying goodbye to you.”
“Shiri and I grew up in a home of love, compassion, and understanding. Dad and Mom raised us to be strong women, to love others, and to respect those who are different. When we were children, I was the annoying sister, Shiri was always the innocent and sweet one.”
“When Shiri and I would pick up the children from kindergarten, we would come straight to Mom and Dad’s house, open the door and they would immediately want to hug and kiss the grandchildren. Shiri and I would look at each other and say, ‘Well, then we think we’re superfluous here.’ That’s how they loved their grandchildren. Such a special love.”
“Bazz, that’s Shiri’s nickname since we were kids…Now Bazz, you are here next to mom and dad. You’re with them, so I’m not worried,” Dana said.
“My Lulu (Ariel). A little redhead with a mischievous laugh, a prankster, small and smart. I only had the privilege of being your aunt for four years, but those were four years of being a proud aunt. I will miss you so much. I will miss your walking of a little man, your laugh, your kind eyes, and your sweet hugs.”
“Fufu (Kfir), with you I unfortunately only got to enjoy nine months. Smiley and pure and also redheaded, you didn’t disappoint. You were beloved nephews to me, special and individual. You’ll be in our hearts forever.”
“I want to ask forgiveness from you in the name of our leadership and our army, who weren’t there for you on that day and who took so much time bringing you back to your land,” Dana added. “Please protect us from above, five angels who are just for me. Bazz, hug mom and dad tightly for me and keep an eye on them and please send me energy that will push out all the evil from the world and will leave here only good.”
“I promise you, Bazz, just like I promised mom and dad, that the monsters on the other side of the fence will not succeed in their mission. They will not beat us, they will not break us. On the contrary, their mission failed, because we united, we became stronger, we became unbeatable, and they lost.”
Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel brought home after over 500 days in Hamas captivity
The bodies of Kfir and Ariel Bibas were handed over by Hamas last Thursday alongside the body of Oded Lifshitz. Hamas handed over a fourth body as well, claiming it was Shiri, but it was later revealed that the body was of a random Palestinian woman instead. Hours later, Shiri’s actual body was handed over to Israel.
The fate of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel was uncertain until last week. Forensic examinations and intelligence collected by the IDF found that Kfir and Ariel were murdered by terrorists just weeks after the October 7th attacks.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced on Friday that “In contradiction to the lies of Hamas, they weren’t killed by an airstrike. Kfir, the baby, and Ariel, just four years old, were murdered in cold blood. The terrorists didn’t murder them by shooting, they murdered them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they carried out unspeakable acts to try and cover up the atrocities they committed.”
Hagari added that Israel has transferred the forensic evidence and intelligence information to Israel’s partners around the world so that they could confirm this information independently and show the world the atrocities Hamas committed.
Oded Lifshitz’s grandchildren eulogize him: ‘Your legacy will continue, the kibbutz will be restored’
Lifshitz was brought to his final resting place on Thursday in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a kibbutz he helped found.
Lifshitz was kidnapped from Nir Oz on Oct. 7 with his wife Yocheved, who was released by Hamas 16 days later. The two were noted peace activists, and Lifshitz also worked as a journalist.
His grandson Dekel eulogized him at the funeral, saying, “Know that your legacy will continue, the kibbutz will be restored, and the vision of the Land of Israel in which you believed will continue to live.”
His wife Yocheved also eulogized him: “Dear Oded. It is strange and inconceivable to me that I am standing in front of an audience and eulogizing you. The stage was always yours, and I was by your side. You wrote with great talent, and I was your personal photographer. I want to thank you for the 67-year journey of life that we walked together. We established a glorious family, a future generation that we have something to be proud of.”
“Our kidnapping and death shake me,” Yocheved said. “We fought all these years for social justice, for peace. Unfortunately, we suffered a severe blow from the people we helped on the other side. I stand here shocked to see the number of graves and the terrible destruction of our community, which was completely abandoned on October 7th. Our kidnapped people are still handcuffed, starved, and tortured underground in Gaza after over 500 days.”
Yocheved spoke about how, a few days after she was released from captivity, Oded appeared to her in a dream and said “I am sending you our song: ‘Lo Avakesh et Yadech’ (I Won’t Ask For Your Hand).”
“We now know that you sent me the song in your last moments. If you are listening, enjoy it too. Peace be with you, my dear Oded, we will meet when the time comes.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke at the funeral, describing Lifshitz as “An Israeli, Zionist, Jewish, humane, a lover of the people and a lover of humanity, a kibbutznik, a pioneer, a fighter, a settler, a thinker and a doer, and of course – an exemplary family man. A man who loves peace and pursues peace who always reached out to his neighbors for peace – and did so in a sober and profound manner, seeing it as the supreme interest of the State of Israel.”
“I stand here, facing the foothills of your land, and as the President of the State of Israel, on behalf of the State of Israel – I ask you – beloved Oded, from Yocheved and from your dear family – forgiveness. Forgiveness that the State of Israel did not protect you, your family, and your kibbutz. Forgiveness that you were forced to stand alone in the face of human monsters. Forgiveness that we did not have time to save and return you and all your friends – from the jaws of the murderers, here, home, in peace. Forgive us.”
57 children have been murdered in terrorist attacks since Oct. 7
Israel’s National Insurance Institute announced on Wednesday that since Oct. 7, 924 civilians had been murdered in terrorist attacks in Israel, including 57 children.
Among the children, five were between the ages of 0-3, six were between the ages of 4-8, 17 were between the ages of 9-12, and 29 were between the ages of 12-18.
Seventeen families lost more than one member of their immediate family to terrorism since Oct. 7.
