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Hamas claims abducted Israeli family has died

IDF says it is investigating ‘cruel’ Hamas claim that Israeli mother and her two small children died in captivity.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

The Hamas terror organization claimed Wednesday that an Israeli woman and her two small children who were taken captive during the Gaza invasion of Israel on October 7th have died in the Gaza Strip.

Thirty-two-year-old Shiri Bibas and her two sons, four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old (now 10 months) Kfir were abducted by Gaza terrorists from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7th. Yarden, 34, Shiri’s husband and the father of Ariel and Kfir, was also taken hostage.

The abduction of Shiri and her two children was caught on camera in a video that Hamas terrorists later uploaded to social media.

Earlier this week, Hamas announced that it could not locate the family, who according to the IDF had been transferred from Hamas custody to another terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, however, Hamas issued a statement claiming that three members of the family – Shiri and the couple’s two children, Kfir and Ariel – had died in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF accused Hamas of issuing the statement as a form of psychological warfare on Israeli civilians, but could not deny the claim, adding that Israel is working to investigate the fate of the three captives.

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“The Hamas terror organization continues to act in a cruel and inhumane manner,” the IDF said.

An army spokesperson added that the IDF has notified the Bibas family of Hamas’ claim and Israel’s efforts to ascertain whether the three captives are still alive.

“IDF representatives spoke with the members of the Bibas family, informed them of the claim, and are accompanying them at this time. The IDF is examining the reliability of the information.”

“The responsibility for the safety of all the hostages in the Gaza Strip rests fully with the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas endangers the hostages, including nine children. Hamas is required to immediately return them to Israel.”