Hamas released what it said were the remains of two young children and their mother who were taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Their fates had captivated a nation.

For more than 500 days, the Bibas family has been a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of the horrors of the Israel-Hamas War. At the time of their kidnapping by Hamas terrorists on October 7, Kfir was nearly nine months old, his brother Ariel was four, and their mother Shiri was 32.

A few hours after Hamas said it would return the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children, her sister-in-law said she had not given up hope of seeing them return home, alive.