Shiri Bibas with her children, Kfir and Ariel
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is filled with heartbreaking stories, but few have resonated as strongly as that of the Bibas family. Shiri Bibas, of Argentine-Israeli descent, and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, were kidnapped during a brutal attack on October 7, 2023, at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Since then, their story has become an example of the human suffering that wars leave behind.
The Kidnapping and Changing Narratives
The attack on Nir Oz was devastating: Hamas burst in, killing Shiri's parents and taking her and her children to the Gaza Strip. For months, the uncertainty was total. At one point, Hamas claimed that everyone had died in an Israeli bombing, but there was no clear evidence of this.
The truth came to light on February 20, 2025, when Hamas handed over the bodies of Ariel and Kfir, killed in November 2023. On their coffins, they wrote "Date of arrest: 10/07/2023". But it was not an arrest: they were kidnapped. They were torn alive from their homes and returned in coffins.
Along with the children's bodies, they sent another body, claiming it was their mother, Shiri. However, an autopsy revealed that the body did not belong to her. They are monsters. When one imagines that they cannot do anything more horrific, they surpass themselves. They are the worst of the worst of the worst. There are two Argentine babies who were killed by terrorists, and until the last second, they continue to play with life and morbidity.
A Country in Mourning and the Silence
Argentina declared two days of national mourning for the deaths of Ariel and Kfir. However, the silence of many voices that should have spoken out is surprising. We are a country with an intense and lamentable history of babies who were taken from their mothers alive, and we never heard from them again. We have human rights organizations that have dedicated decades to them. Today, all those institutions and people are silent. Or, even worse: defending the murderers of Kfir and Ariel, turning the perpetrators into victims.
I cannot understand the silence of most Argentines regarding what is happening. I don't want to think that it is because these two babies are Jewish. I would like to understand why they remain silent in the face of the most terrible barbarism, in the face of such an inhumane act.
The Cynicism of Hamas and Its Defenders
What Hamas has done is not only a violation of international norms but also a clear demonstration of its absolute disdain for human life. It is not a group of "resistance," as some insist on calling it; it is a terrorist organization that uses civilians as human shields and kidnaps children, only to return them in coffins.
What is equally outrageous is seeing how in marches and demonstrations in front of the Argentine Congress and in other parts of the country, Palestinian flags are raised, not to ask for peace but to justify or downplay the atrocious acts of Hamas. You cannot call for compassion for a cause while ignoring or applauding terrorist violence.
There is a fundamental difference between defending the rights of the Palestinian people and justifying terrorism. Hamas does not represent peace or self-determination; it represents hatred, destruction, and the death of innocents. Those who carry Palestinian flags to support Hamas are implicitly endorsing these crimes.
The Pain of the Unknown
The whereabouts of Shiri remain a mystery. Is she alive? Was she also murdered? The unanswered questions weigh even more when considering the months of anguish that the Bibas family and friends have already endured. It is a pain that anyone can imagine: the hope that clings to the life of a loved one and the uncertainty that consumes everything.
A Wake-Up Call to the International Community
The case of the Bibas family cannot be relegated to yet another headline of an endless war. The international community has the obligation to speak out firmly. It is not enough to condemn these acts; real action is needed to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Silence, passivity, or tepid condemnations only feed impunity.
The Symbolism of the Bibas Family
The story of the Bibas goes beyond an individual tragedy. It is a stark reminder that terrorism knows no bounds and that modern wars no longer distinguish between combatants and civilians. Ariel and Kfir had no chance to defend themselves, and their murder is a crime that should outrage the entire world.
The Search for Justice and Memory
Those responsible for these children's deaths must be brought to justice. There can be no peace without justice, and there can be no forgetting for crimes of this magnitude. But it is also essential that the memory of Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri be preserved. Their lives should be remembered not just as victims of a conflict but as real people with dreams, joys, and a future that was snatched away from them.
No to Forgetting, No to Indifference
The story of the Bibas family should not leave us indifferent. If we allow crimes like this to become part of the "background noise" of an eternal war, we will have lost an essential part of our humanity. The magnitude of suffering this family has faced is a call to action: to demand justice, to remember, and above all, to not accept barbarism as something normal.
Today, Ariel and Kfir are a symbol of the urgent need to protect the innocent in times of war. And their mother, Shiri, whether she is alive or not, deserves that the world does not rest until her story is told with the complete truth.
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