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Cousin of Kfir Bibas' father says he can no longer bear to think about Hamas' youngest hostage and believes he 'can't be the same baby' after spending half his life in Gaza captivity
Kfir Bibas was just nine months old when he and his family were kidnapped by Hamas militants during the deadly October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
Now at 17-months-old, Kfir's father's cousin, Tomer Keshet, revealed that the family still do not know the fate of baby who 'can't be the same' after spending half of his life in captivity.
In a heartbreaking recollection, Tomer said: 'Kfir was so tiny. He could hardly stand. I can't bear to think of him now. Perhaps he's been kept in a crib all these months, not even allowed to crawl. He must be able to stand by now.'
For 53 restless days, Tomer, 34, and the rest of the family knew nothing about the circumstances of their loved ones.
Then, on November 29, following the release of 105 civilians during the temporary ceasefire agreement, Hamas claimed that Kfir, his brother Ariel, four, and his mother Shiri, 32, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The next day, a chilling Hamas propaganda video was released showing Kfir's father Yarden Bibas receiving news of his family's death.
Pictured: Poster of Kfir on the wall with the toddler’s updated age written in months. The baby is now 17-months old and his family remain unaware of his fate
Tomer Keshet, Kfir's father's cousin, holds a picture of Shiri Bibas and her two children being kidnapped by Hamas
A picture released by the family of them all in Batman pyjamas not long before the attack
A family album image of Ariel and baby Kfir just a few months old
However, without confirmation, no one in Israel, especially the Bibas family, is prepared to believe the claims of terrorists and hope remains they might yet return home.
Speaking in an office near the Hostage Square memorial in Tel Aviv, Tomer's thoughts returned to the last time the family were all together, celebrating the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah, just three weeks before their nightmare began.
'Shiri and Yarden are the kindest couple. They love to joke around and have permanent smiles. They don't just smile for pictures. They smile for real.
'I remember being so happy. I can't imagine feeling that way again'.
Kfir turned one in captivity on January 18, a day that was known in Israel as 'the saddest birthday in the world'.
'It's horrific to think he has spent half his life in captivity,' said Tomer.
'We love him so much. He is such a calm and relaxed baby who loves to be held. But he can't be the same baby now, kept in tunnels and dark places for such a long time.
'I fear he and Ariel will be forever changed. To kidnap a baby and a small child from their beds is completely against human nature. It's not something I can begin to understand.
'Why doesn't the entire world stop and say, 'These are children dragged from their homes by terrorists! Why doesn't the entire world condemn this and demand they return home with their mother and father? If this horror doesn't shake people and force them act, what will?'
Tomer's voice trembled as he pointed to a poster of baby Kfir.
Alongside the images of Noa Argamani being taken into Gaza on a motorbike, Naama Levy being forced into the back of a car, and 'Lady in Red' Vlada Patapov running for her life from the Nova festival, the toddler's picture is one of the most hauntingly iconic images of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
The baby boy is seen lying on his back, big brown eyes sparkling, a toothy grin directed at the camera as he clasps a purple elephant toy.
Shiri is pictured playing with her baby Kfir. The pair were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists, who now claim - without providing evidence - they were killed in an Israeli aistrike
The Bibas family, father Yarden, mother Shiri, baby Kfir and four-year-old Ariel, were taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Nir Oz
The image of the two young boys being carried by their weeping mother, Shiri, as they were marched from their homes was one of the most striking to be published in the early days of the Israel-Hamas war
Ariel Bibas is pictured here playing with bubbles. He was captured by Hamas terrorists on October 7
'This picture was taken just before he was taken. He's supposed to be playing with his brother, learning to walk and say 'dada', not being held hostage.'
Every Shabbat and Jewish festival since October 7 without his loved ones has been torture for Tomer.
'We are a large family. Israel is not a big place, but we are still spread around the country, so it's special when the children come together for festivals,' he said.
'My children are a similar age to Ariel and Kfir so, like most big families, things tend to get a bit crazy and noisy.
'There have been many so many landmarks since that Rosh Hashanah. Purim, Pesach. All of them without them. Every time I hear my own children laugh, every time we sit down together for dinner, every time I change a diaper, I see Kfir,' Tomer added.
Tomer shared his heartbreaking story alongside three other hostage families, including Yarden Gonen, sister of Romi Gonen, 23, who was taken from the Nova music festival, Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose 22-year-old son Omer is an IDF tank commander, and Ayelet Svatitzky, sister of British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim.
Ayelet's mother, Channah Peri, was released on November 24 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal. Her older brother, Roi Popplewell, 54, was killed on October 7.
Tomer took a deep breath as he recalled that fateful Shabbat morning.
'I live in the centre of Israel and woke to the sound of alarms. I went into the bomb shelter with my family and sent a message in our family group asking if everyone was all right. I got a thumbs up at around 7am, but then we lost communication.'
It wasn't until those now infamous clips of Shiri and her children being taken from their home appeared on social media that Tomer realised what had happened.
'You can see Shiri holding her children so close to her chest, trying to defend them. She's horrified. She knows things are not looking great. We know Shiri and the kids arrived in Gaza, but we have heard nothing from them since.'
Weeks later, footage was released of a bleeding Yarden being driven into Gaza on a motorbike.
Grainy footage captured the moment Shiri was dragged out of a white car as she clung onto her baby.
Another shot showed Hamas militants directing the terrified mother towards a series of buildings and throwing a blanket over her head.
Grainy footage, released by the IDF with permission of the family and shared with MailOnline, shows a group the IDF identifies as Hamas members taking a woman out of a parked white car as she holds a young child or baby
Several Hamas terrorists were seen putting a shawl over Shiri
Horrifying new video footage (pictured) has shown the missing Israeli father of 'Hamas 's youngest hostage' covered in blood and being beaten by a crowd of Palestinians while cheering terrorists drive him away on a motorbike on October 7
Yarden Bibas is pictured on October 7 during his capture by Hamas in a picture that emerged before the latest video of him. He is bleeding from a head wound and has blood on his hands. His family members have not heard from him since
At the time of the footage release, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the army was 'very concerned' about the family's wellbeing.
He said the army found the videos in security cameras seized during its offensive in Khan Younis.
Shiri's parents, Margaret and Yosi Silverman, who lived on the same kibbutz, were murdered and their bodies found near the Gaza border. The Bibas family's beloved dog, Tony, was also shot dead.
Kfir and Ariel are the last two child hostages still being held.
'We hoped that because they are so young, we would get them back in the November release,' said desperate Tomer.
'That was a long time ago. Each passing day fills me with more fear. Ariel and Kfir have distinctive red hair. We've been sent pictures of red-headed children in Gaza by people hoping they might be Ariel and Kfir. None of them were.
'Yet, with each picture, we are reminded there is love and concern for them, which gives us a glimmer of hope.'
In horrifying video footage released last month, Kfir's missing father was shown covered in blood and being beaten by a crowd of Palestinians while cheering terrorists drove him away on a motorbike on October 7.
The video was shared on social media by Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who wrote: 'The world must not remain silent in the face of such crimes. Bring them home now!'
Yarden is reported to have surrendered himself to the gunmen in the hope that they would take him and spare his wife and children. He is thought to be be alive in Gaza, but the fate of his family remains unclear.
On October 7, the Bibas family were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and taken into Gaza.
They were among 252 people kidnapped on Israel's darkest day.
Since then, 112 hostages have returned alive to Israel – 105 through a prisoner exchange deal, four released unilaterally by Hamas and three rescued by the Israeli army.