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Yarden Bibas: 'Captivity wasn't the worst, hell is living without them now'
🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Yarden Bibas: 'Captivity wasn't the worst, hell is living without them now'

From La Nación · (1h ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Yarden Bibas, an Israeli man held captive by Hamas for 484 days, described his current life without his wife and two young sons as a "living hell."
  • Bibas was released in a prisoner exchange, but tragically, his wife Shiri and their children, Ariel and Kfir, were killed during their captivity, with their bodies returned months later.
  • He recounted the harrowing details of his family's abduction on October 7, 2023, from their kibbutz near Gaza, and his desperate hope during captivity that they were still alive.

TEL AVIV – In a heart-wrenching account, Yarden Bibas, who endured 484 days of captivity in Gaza at the hands of Hamas terrorists, has spoken out about the profound grief and despair that now defines his existence. Having been released over a year ago, Bibas revealed in a recent interview that the ordeal of his own kidnapping pales in comparison to the agony of living without his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. "Today I live in hell," he stated, conveying the depth of his suffering.

lo más terrible no fue ese cautiverio, el infierno es vivir ahora sin ellos

— Yarden BibasDescribing his current state of suffering after being released from Hamas captivity and learning of his family's fate.

The tragedy unfolded on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz of Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, abducting Shiri, a 32-year-old kindergarten teacher, along with four-year-old Ariel and eight-month-old Kfir. Yarden surrendered himself to the terrorists in a desperate attempt to protect his family, a moment he recalls with surreal anguish, having asked the militants for a moment to kiss his wife and children goodbye. Throughout his captivity, he was separated from his family, clinging to the hope that they were alive, even after being told otherwise by his captors.

Hoy vivo un infierno

— Yarden BibasExpressing the profound pain of living without his wife and children.

His hope was ultimately shattered when, following his release during a truce, the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were returned to Israel. The family had been planning a move to a more tranquil location in the Golan Heights, a dream now tragically unfulfilled. Bibas's story is a stark reminder of the immense human cost of the conflict, a narrative often overshadowed by geopolitical complexities but deeply felt by those directly impacted. His testimony underscores the unimaginable suffering endured by victims and their families, a reality that resonates profoundly within Israel and beyond.

Primero pensé que los terroristas mentían cuando me dijeron que ya habían fallecido, pero en las últimas semanas del secuestro sospeché que podía ser verdad. Incluso comencé a aprender su idioma para entender cuándo mentían y cuándo no. Pero la mayor parte del tiempo sentí que mentían, y que mi familia estaba viva. Eso fue lo que me mantuvo en pie

— Yarden BibasRecounting his struggle with hope and despair during captivity regarding his family's survival.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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