Killed in Cold Blood: Outrage Grows After Israel Claims Hamas Brutally Murder Bibas Brothers with 'Bare Hands'

Tel Aviv: Israel has accused Hamas of brutally killing the two Bibas brothers—10-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel—in cold blooded murder weeks after they were kidnapped during the October 7 attack. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday said forensic reports confirmed that the children were murdered in cold blood while in captivity in Gaza. The IDF further alleged that Hamas terrorists did not use weapons but killed the brothers with their bare hands. This comes 2 days after Hamas and Isreal exchanged hostages amid ceasefire deal. Hamas returned bodies of 4 slain hostages which included two children their mother - Known as Bibas Family. 

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, made the revelations in a televised statement, calling it a horrific act. “Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood. The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys—they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities,” Hagari said.  

Hamas Handed Over Wrong Body, Claims IDF  

The allegations surfaced hours after Israel discovered that Hamas had not returned the body of the boys’ mother, Shiri Bibas. Instead, Hamas handed over the body of a Gazan woman and later claimed there had been a mix-up during an Israeli airstrike. However, the IDF rejected Hamas’s explanation, asserting that forensic evidence proved the boys were not killed in an airstrike.  

Hagari said, “Contrary to Hamas’s lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. They were murdered in cold blood by terrorists.”  

Shiri’s husband and the boys’ father, Yarden Bibas, was also kidnapped during the October 7 attack but was later freed alive by Hamas on February 1.  

Global Condemnation Follows Allegations  

The incident has sparked international outrage, with top US officials condemning the alleged killings. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called the murders “pure evil” and asserted that Hamas must be destroyed. “The Bibas children were murdered at the hands of Hamas and not accidentally bombed. Pure evil. Keeping the Bibas family and all Israelis in our prayers for this unspeakable violence. Hamas must be destroyed,” Waltz wrote on X.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed deep anguish over the deaths, calling the children “perfect little souls” who were taken hostage by “savages.” Holding their photo, he said, “These perfect children were just four years old and less than one year old when the Hamas savages snatched them from their mother’s arms. She fought like a lioness to protect her boys. Just imagine their horror, their confusion.”  

Netanyahu Vows Retaliation  

Netanyahu vowed to bring those responsible to justice, declaring that nothing would stop him from hunting them down. “As the Prime Minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me. Nothing,” he said.  

The killing of the Bibas brothers has intensified Israel’s offensive in Gaza, with Netanyahu reiterating that Hamas must be eliminated. With tensions already at a peak, the latest revelations have fueled further hostilities, as Israel continues its military operations in the region.