Militant group Hamas said on Wednesday that an Argentine-Israeli family, among them a 10-month-old baby, died during their captivity in Gaza.
They are Shirli Bibas and their children Ariel (4) and Kfir. They had all been kidnapped along with their father, Yarden, on October 7, day in which Hamas militants killed 1.200 people and took some 240 hostages in Israel.
It is worth mentioning that Hamas has made claims of this kind in the past that were later proved false. It was the case of Jana Katzir, a 77-year-old woman who was then among the first hostages released.
The Bibas' family case, however, has stood out because it includes the youngest hostage, Kfir. Also because of the graphic images published by Hamas members showing Shirli being taken to Gaza along with her children, pleading militants not to do so.
The Bibas were among the Argentines kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz. So far, nine of them have been released. Yesterday was the turn of four women: 77-year-old woman, Ofelia Feler de Roitman, a 63-year-old woman, Clara Marman, and Gabriela Leimberg and her daughter Mia. On Monday, Karina Engelbert and her daughters Mika (18) and Yuval (11), as well as twins Yuli and Emma Cunio, both three-years-old, were released.
The questions about the children's whereabouts had grown stronger during this week, as exchanges of hostages for Palestinian imprisoned people began and their names continued to be outside the lists.
The last agreed exchange will take place on Wednesday, but the international community is putting pressure on both sides to extend the pause further so more hostages can be freed and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip can be sustained.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Qatar is looking to negotiate a truce agreement that will include the release of all hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. The deal could include a provision to put an end to the war, the report said.
Israel and the mediating sides have yet to confirm talks regarding a ceasefire deal of such magnitude, as it could see the release of more men hostages, as well as Israeli soldiers that were also taken to Gaza during the October 7 attack in Israel.
Publicly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in several occasions about the intention of resuming the offensive as soon as the truce ends. "We continue until the end -- until victory," Netanyahu said in Gaza on Sunday. His presence there marked the first visit by an Israeli premier since 2005.
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