The heartbreak of Ariel, 4, and the nine-month-old Kfir Bibas brought back to their family in coffins, along with their mother Shiri, who was initially misidentified with a Gazan woman, was felt by all of Israel and its supporters worldwide. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered 14 state-operated sites to be lit in orange last Motza’ei Shabbos, the color of the boys’ hair in an expression of solidarity.
“Our hearts are broken as we mourn Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were brutally murdered by Hamas in an act of callous and unthinkable cruelty,” Hochul said. “I join the millions around the world honoring their memory and demanding that Hamas immediately return the remains of Shiri Bibas home to Israel.”
These sites included Niagara Falls, One World Trade Center, the Kosciuszko Bridge, and the Empire State Plaza in Albany. That week, Hochul met with families of remaining hostages and those who were released by Hamas. In the 500 days since the Bibas family was kidnapped, Hamas offered no signs of their lives as people prayed for their release. Only the father, Yarden Bibas, was released alive, having no knowledge of his family’s status during his captivity.
The stories of hostages involve couples waiting for their partners, parents, and children separated, videos of forced statements, and handover ceremonies in which hostages were compelled to thank their captors, while coffins of dead hostages were paraded beneath banners mocking Israel.
It is no small matter that internationally renowned structures are lit in the colors of Israel and the Bibas boys, on the order of a Democratic governor at a time when many voices within her party are calling for an end to support for Israel.
On Sunday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum held a rally in Central Park, in which hundreds of people heard former captive Ilana Gritzewsky, 31, urge Israel and the United States to continue efforts to release those still held by Hamas, including her boyfriend Matan Zangauker, 25. They were both kidnapped in the October 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. She was released in the first ceasefire, 55 days after the attack. He last appeared in a video shared by Hamas last December, in which he spoke under duress, acknowledging efforts by his mother for his release.
“The fact that I’m here today, standing in front of you, doesn’t mean I’m okay, but I refuse to give up. Hamas tried to break me,” she said. “They continue to play cruel psychological games, but they will not silence me. My body is free, but my heart, my soul, my entire being, remains in captivity with Matan and the other hostages. I will not stop. I will not rest until every single one of them is home.”
Gritzewsky was joined by Orna and Ronen Neutra, the parents of slain hostage Omer Neutra of Long Island, who called for his body to be returned to his family. “We lost our hope to see Omer alive. But Omer deserves a dignified burial, and we deserve a place to mourn.”
Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, the most outspoken pro-Israel voice in his party, also spoke at the rally. “These past weeks of this, especially these past few days, have been unbearable. I will always stand up here, not only in hoping, but fighting for a world where the hostages are brought home and where October 7 can never be repeated,” he said.
Gritzewsky’s experience is reminiscent of Alexander Troufanov and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen. She was also among the hostages released in the first ceasefire and became an advocate for his release. “Last night, Sasha told me that during all this time, he prayed for me to find a man I love, prayed that I wouldn’t wait for him,” she told reporters on February 16, a day after his release. “He didn’t want me waiting for a man he thought would never return home. He didn’t believe he would survive.”
Noa Argamani was rescued by Israeli soldiers last June, but her boyfriend Avinatan Or remains in captivity. Since the second ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas released 25 living hostages, with 63 remaining captive. Their future depends on whether the ceasefire holds, as Israel demands an end to humiliating handover ceremonies by Hamas in exchange for further releases of terrorists held in Israeli prisons.
Offering remarks at the White House after watching six hostages released on Saturday, President Donald Trump condemned Hamas’ use of hostages as props.
“It’s disgraceful what went on there during the release of the hostages. They are not in a great condition, but we have seen them in worse conditions.”
In his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington on that weekend, Trump noted Argamani’s and Gritzewsky’s attendance at the event. “What a beautiful group of people.”
He added that it is as important to return the living hostages as the remains of those killed.
“The parents are strong, but what does strong mean? Their lives are ruined.”
By Sergey Kadinsky
