THE heartbreaking funeral for murdered Israeli hostage mum Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Kfir and Ariel is taking place today.
Thousands of griefstricken Israelis lined the streets to send off the young family just days after their bodies were handed over by their Hamas captors.
ReutersThousands of griefstricken Israelis have lined the streets to send off the Bibas family just days after their bodies were returned[/caption]
ReutersA drone view shows Israelis gathering for the funeral procession[/caption]
UnpixsShiri, Kfir and Ariel were all killed at the hands of their Hamas captors[/caption]
Shiri Bibas was kidnapped from her home in Israel alongside her children
The bodies of the three Bibas hostages were driven through Rishon Lezion as part of a touching final journey before they are laid to rest later this morning.
Israeli flags were seen waving through the air as the cars came past with hundreds of orange balloons also flying high.
The colour orange has become closely associated with the Bibas brothers due to their hair colour.
Many residents paid their respects to the family by bowing their heads as the motorcade came past.
The caskets are due to be taken from Rishon Lezion through Yavne, Ashdod and Ashkelon before reaching the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council near to the Gaza border.
Their funeral is due to be held privately near to the Bibas’ family home where they were first snatched by Hamas thugs on October 7.
Only those invited are allowed into the official ceremony in Zohar with eulogies set to start at 11:30am.
The family did ask for Israelis to join together for the procession so they could honour Kfir, Ariel and Shiri for the last time.
The Bibas family sent out a touching message for those who attended the ceremony: “We see and hear you; we are moved and strengthened by you.
“We hope for the day when we can once again be together in moments of joy and not sadness.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal residence was also lit up orange to mark the event.
His office also put out a statement of their own honouring the family.
It read: “Today, after 509 days, Shiri and her young children are finally being laid to rest with dignity in Israel.
“At this moment, as the people of Israel grieve and bow their heads in sorrow, the President’s Resident mourns with Yarden and the Bibas family.
“While an entire nation prayed and hoped for a different outcome, we are left wounded and in pain.
“Yet, even in our grief, we will continue to pray for better days and for the swift return of all the remaining hostages still held in Gaza.”
Hamas handed over the bodies of Shiri’s 9-month-old Kfir and four-year-old Ariel last week as well as a casket believed to contain the remains of Shiri.
But hours after the initial twisted handover ceremony, the IDF announced they couldn’t identify the body as Shiri’s.
Ian WhittakerShiri’s face became a symbol of the horrors of October 7, when she and the children were taken by Hamas[/caption]
Baby Kfir was the youngest hostage taken by Hamas on October 7
Ariel Bibas pictured before he was kidnapped by Hamas
Shiri and her children became synonymous with Hamas’ brutality ever since the heinous October 7 attacks.
The family – including dad Yarden who survived being in captivity – sheltered inside their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas fiends rampaged through southern Israel over 500 days ago.
All four Bibas family members hiding out were captured by the terror thugs.
A horrific video later emerged of Shiri looking utterly terrified and crying as she clung to her two sons while Hamas gunmen led them away from the family home.
Baby Kfir – the youngest captive – was only nine months old when he was forced to spend the majority of his life as a Hamas prisoner.
Israel says he likely died when he was only 11 months old as they fear Hamas murdered the Bibas brothers with their bare hands.
The bodies were among the first returned to Israel as part of the initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
A deal to halt the fighting after 15 long months of war was brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt on January 15.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
It aimed to end the brutal conflict permanently and secure the release of all the hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The first phase was set to last 42 days and see a total of 33 hostages released.
Humanitarian aid would also flow into Gaza with displaced civilians allowed to return home.
It is now almost complete with just four more bodies of hostages scheduled to be released on Thursday.
But it is still unclear if the second stage will happen immediately – with fears looming over if it will even go ahead.
As unless an agreement can be reached soon the war could quickly kick off again.
It comes as around 63 hostages are still being held in Gaza with Israel and the world unsure if they are alive or dead.
APHamas sent the bodies back in disturbing coffins[/caption]
