Leading media outlets worldwide extensively covered on Thursday the return of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz to Israel. As Hamas began its cynical ceremony, the news reached top headlines, with push notifications sent to readers when the coffins were transferred to the Red Cross.
The Wall Street Journal dedicated its front page to the return of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas' remains, with the headline "Israel mourns young hostages, mom." Alongside the headline appeared a photograph of a Tel Aviv mural depicting the family members. The article published on the newspaper's website stated: "The Redheaded Bibas Children, the Youngest Hostages in Gaza, Aren't Coming Home Alive."
CNN opened its article, stating, "The two boys have become the most recognizable victims of the October 7 terror attacks, and the first return of hostage bodies marks a hugely emotional and somber moment for Israel," alongside a large photo of Ariel Bibas.
The Washington Post dedicated a lengthy article to covering the events. "Similar to past releases, Hamas fighters erected large propaganda posters at the site of the handover in Gaza. 'The return of war = the return of your prisoners in coffins,' read one of the signs. Hamas fighters displayed the coffins on a stage before the crowd before handing them over to the Red Cross," the article noted.
"Pictures of Shiri Bibas with her two young children have become the deepest and most potent symbol of the ordeal," read the BBC headline. "This will be the most sombre moment so far in the handovers of hostages," it continued.
Canada's National Post dedicated its main headline to the Bibas family story. Journalist Terry Newman wrote, "The fate of Bibas family is an indictment of the Gazan cause ... To put this exchange into perspective, the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas are three of the 94 remaining hostages, some alive and some dead, who will be exchanged for nearly 2000 prisoners, some of whom have been detained for terrorist acts against Israelis. This means many of these released prisoners have already killed, or tried to kill, those in Israel today."
The New York Post published a sharp opinion piece against the backdrop of events in Israel and violent pro-Palestinian protests in the neighborhood. "Brooklyn's depraved pro-Hamas fiends back the slaughter of babies," the column stated. "As a mother of young redheaded children, I saw my kids reflected in the images of the Bibas boys. My baby and Kfir were the same age, and as I put him to bed every night for months following Oct. 7, I would try to imagine how Shiri was putting Kfir to bed. Did he have a crib, did he have a bottle?" wrote Bethany Mandel.
In Germany, the Bild newspaper placed the news of the hostages' remains return at the top of its website homepage. "For Israel, this is one of the darkest days since October 7, 2023: The Hamas terror organization announced it would hand over four murdered hostages to Israel on Thursday morning," the newspaper reported.
Argentine media extensively covered the Bibas family story, who held citizenship in the country. "The faces of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were 9 months and 4 years old when kidnapped by Hamas, became worldwide symbols of the horror sown by the terror organization." The article also recounted the family's life in Kibbutz Nir Oz: "Until the tragic October 7, 2023, when Hamas broke into Israel in a bloody raid, the Bibas family lived happily in Kibbutz Nir Oz, 4 kilometers from the Gaza Strip border. The father hid his wife and children in the house shelter and went out armed when they were already surrounded by attackers."
President of Argentina's Human Rights Committee Sabrina Ajmechet said a day of mourning would be declared in the country after identification of the deceased. Argentine President Javier Milei shared a message in their memory on his social media accounts.
