“Shiri, Ariel and Kfir – I love you most in the world, always in the world,” he wrote in an Erev Rosh Hashanah Instagram post.
Yarden Bibas, who was held hostage in Gaza by Hamas for 484 days, dedicated a social media post on Monday to his slain family, saying that “the holidays are not holidays for me without you.”
“Shiri, Ariel and Kfir – I love you most in the world, always in the world,” he wrote in an Instagram post about his wife and children, who were murdered by Hamas after they were kidnapped on October 7.
Bibas has continued to advocate for the remaining Gaza hostages; he has attended several different protests and posted regularly on social media demanding their release.
In a post he shared in April 2025, he wrote: “On the 76th Independence Day, I was in a tunnel and I didn’t think that in Israel they celebrate Independence Day during a war and while there are prisoners in captivity.”
On the 77th Independence Day, there is still a war, and there are still prisoners, only this time I am home. I still call the country home, and choose life anew every day. This home exists thanks to my family, who remained and supported me, and thanks to these wonderful people.”
IDF kills terrorist responsible for kidnapping Yarden Bibas from Kibbutz Nir Oz
In August 2025, the IDF announced that soldiers killed a Hamas terrorist who participated in the abduction of Yarden Bibas on October 7.
The terrorist was identified as Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar; he was killed in an IDF airstrike on August 10.
“A small part of my closure happened today. Thank you to the IDF, the Shin Bet, and everyone who took part in eliminating one of the terrorists who kidnapped me on October 7,” Bibas wrote in response to the news. “Thanks to you, he will no longer be able to harm anyone.”
“Please keep yourselves heroes. I am waiting for the full closure with the return of my friends David and Ariel and the other 48 hostages,” he added.