Sherry Bibas, her little son Kfir (just 10 months old) and her little brother Ariel (4 years old) would have died in the rain of bombs that Israel dropped on the Strip. They were kidnapped on 7 October in the Nir Oz kibbutz and plunged into the darkness of Gaza. Or at least that's what Hamas claims .
The family members and all of Israel expected the youngest hostage to be released among the first together with his mother and little brother. But on the sixth day of truce the terrible news came: Kfir, Ariel and Sherry were "killed in a previous bombing by the Israeli army" , according to the meager statement from the Ezzedin Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. No news of Father Yarden, also kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza. The Israeli army is "checking the validity" of the news, replied military spokesman Daniel Hagari, underlining that "Hamas continues to behave in a cruel and inhuman manner".
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with members of the Bibas family, Haaretz reports, reiterating that investigations are underway by the security forces. “I don't know if it's true or not,” said Benny Gantz, war cabinet minister, “but it's part of a psychological war that our enemies are waging.”
“We are waiting for the information to be confirmed and hopefully denied by military officials,” the family members said through the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons. «We don't know what their conditions are. Are they still together? Do they eat? Who hugs the children, who reassures them when they cry?", was the heartfelt question of the two little ones' aunt, Dana Siton. The hope is that "Hamas's announcement could be a way to push for an extension of the truce", notes Al Jazeera, also because previously the news had spread that the family had ended up in the hands of other Palestinian factions, therefore outside from Hamas control.
There are no certain numbers on how many minors are still held hostage. According to Netanyahu's office, there are certainly Gali Tarshansky, 13 years old, from Kibbutz Beeri, Amit Shani, 16 years old, also from Kibbutz Beeri, and Aisha Ziyadne (17), an Israeli Bedouin who worked in Kibbutz Holit. In total at least 159 Israelis are still in Gaza, around ten over the age of 75.
(Unioneonline/D)