At just ten months old, Kfir Bibas has already spent more than a fifth of his life in captivity.
Kfir was kidnapped by Hamas militants more than 50 days ago while at his home in southern Israel and is partly insecure. The family doesn’t know if the baby is safe or even alive.
“We are very worried about him,” said cousin Eylon Keshet CNN. ‘We are not sure if he will be able to survive. Every day he is there is a very, very real danger to his life,” he added.
Kfir, his four-year-old brother Ariel, his mother Shiri and probably his father Yarden were all kidnapped from Nir Oz, an Israeli kibbutz that was destroyed in the Hamas attack on October 7. More than a quarter of the local community was murdered and dozens of other residents were kidnapped.
About 1,200 people, the vast majority of them civilians, were killed that day by Hamas in southern Israel.
A video of the Bibas family actually became one of the most important moments of that day, as Shiri held tightly to her children, who did not cry or make any noise. The boys’ father was hit by a hammer and his whereabouts are unknown, while the children’s grandparents were murdered.
On Monday, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the Bibas family is not currently being held captive by Hamas, further complicating release efforts because there are other groups holding hostages, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The names of Kfir, Ariel and Shira have not yet appeared on the list of hostages to be released. An estimated eight children are still being held by Hamas.
At just ten months old, Kfir was not yet at the stage of eating solid food. “He needs baby food,” said Keshet, who added that Kfir’s brother, Ariel, “is a vulnerable child” with “several health problems.”
Source: DN
