The youngest Israeli hostage held by Hamas has died along with his brother and mother, a group representing the hostages has announced.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Shiri Bibas, and her children Kfir and Ariel, who were aged nine months and four years when Hamas abducted them during the 7 October 2023 attack, have all died.
The Hamas militant group has previously alleged the three were killed in Israeli bombardment, but Israel has not confirmed this. The children's father, Yarden, was released by Hamas earlier this month.
The group added Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist who was taken from his home in Nir Oz, was also dead.
It said Mr Lifshitz “dedicated his life to helping others and transporting sick Gazans to Israeli hospitals, and his grandchildren called him ‘Super Grandpa’ for his wisdom and love”.
Shiri Bibas was a “dedicated mother and accountant, known for her boundless kindness, who nurtured and cared for all the kibbutz children”, the group added.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum added in a statement: “They weren't just names - they were beloved people, with families who cherished them, with dreams and futures stolen from them.
“We grieve not only for them but for the other precious lives lost, including four more deceased hostages who will be returned next week.
“We will not rest. We will not stop fighting for every hostage who isn't part of the current deal - for those still alive, clinging to survival, desperate to return to their loved ones and begin healing. And for those we know are deceased - their families deserve the dignity of closure, the basic right to give their loved ones a proper burial.
“This cannot continue. Not one more day. The second stage of the deal must happen NOW. There is no more time to waste. Not when every passing moment could mean another life lost, another family shattered. Bring them all home - NOW.”
The Lifshitz family said in a statement: “These are difficult hours for us, after being informed that our beloved Oded is among the deceased hostages who will be returned to Israel tomorrow. He was taken alive from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
“For 502 days we hoped and prayed for a different outcome. However, until we receive absolute certainty, our journey is not over, and even afterwards we will continue to fight until the last hostage is returned.”
His daughter Dr Sharone Lifschitz, a London-based artist, said in January she was holding on to hope that he survived but also prepared for the worst.
Adam Wagner, the lawyer for Dr Lifschitz, said the family “remains cautious” and warned “the release of bodies of hostages should never be a propaganda exercise”.
Hamas is set to release six more living hostages on Saturday as part of the first phase of a ceasefire deal with Israel.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel had received the list of the deceased hostages who will be released from Gaza on Thursday, adding their families had been informed.
An Israeli official later confirmed the four names. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said on Tuesday the dead would include the "Bibas family".
In a separate video statement, Mr Netanyahu said: "Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for the state of Israel. An upsetting day, a day of grief. We bring home four of our beloved hostages, deceased. We embrace the families, and the heart of an entire nation is torn. My heart is torn."
