New Israel memorial honors Bibas family as survivor Yarden Bibas shares ongoing trauma after Hamas captivity

Former Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas survived 484 days in Hamas captivity but his wife Shiri and young children Ariel (4), and Kfir (9 months) were brutally murdered while being held as hostages in Gaza. He is now struggling to rebuild his shattered life with assistance from relatives, friends and his father Eli Bibas. 

Bibas authorized the construction of a new “Bibas Footprints” memorial and last week he personally visited the completed memorial site. 

“On one hand, it’s deeply moving to see such an initiative, especially the footprints,” Yarden said. His murdered wife and children became symbols of the Hamas Oct. 7 atrocities and the kidnapping of 250 people from southern Israel. 

“On the other hand, it’s still incomprehensible to me. It’s only been eight months since I was released from captivity. Before that, nobody knew who I was—and now, people recognize me everywhere. We were a very anonymous family before October 7. Just regular people. Now ‘Bibas’ is one of the most well-known names in Israel, and even around the world, especially among Jewish communities,” he continued. 

“It’s touching to see how much love there is for our family, both here and abroad. People have taken on memorial projects for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, and I’m grateful for that. It warms the heart,” Bibas added. 

Yet, he admitted that he finds it difficult to comprehend that his murdered family became the symbol of the Oct. 7 tragedy. 

“I’m not the only victim of October 7, but sadly, we’ve become a symbol. It’s still hard for me to grasp that there’s a memorial being made for my family. I guess I still don’t fully understand how big the Bibas story has become,” he explained.

In February, Yarden eulogized his murdered family during a funeral ceremony that was followed by much of Israel and the international community. 

"I want to tell you about everything that's happening in the world and here in Israel. Shiri, everyone knows and loves us – you can't imagine how surreal all this madness is. Shiri, people tell me they'll always be by my side, but they're not you. So please stay close to me and don't go far! Shiri, this is the closest I've been to you since October 7th and I can't kiss or hug you, and it's breaking me!" Yarden said. 

Nine months later, he admits that the footprints of his murdered family still evoke difficult and mixed emotions. 

“It’s hard and overwhelming – but also very moving. It depends on the day. There are days I can’t look at anything, and days when I’m stronger. When I came here, I knew what to expect because I was part of the process and was updated throughout the work. I truly hope that visitors who come here will respect the site and honor its significance,” he said.

Boaz Kratchmer from Kibbutz Tze’elim who heads the Besor Stream Authority, is the person who proposed the Bibas memorial site. 

“On the day Shiri and the boys were brought back and laid to rest, as I stood at the funeral in the regional cemetery in Tzohar, the idea struck me – we had to do something powerful in their memory,” he recalled.

The landscape architect Tzvika Pasternak who brought the memorial site idea to life, explained the importance of footprints. 

“Footprints are deeply personal,” he said. “They’re the imprint of someone who was here and walked. But in this case, the footprints go nowhere – trapped and surrounded by circles with no exit, echoing Shiri and the children, imprisoned in Hamas tunnels. One day, I was telling my daughter about the idea during a beach walk, and she reminded me that little Kfir, who was only nine months old, was still crawling. So we added handprints and knee prints of a crawling baby."