Slain hostages, Shiri Bibas and her young two sons, Ariel and Kfir, will be laid to rest near the family’s home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Wednesday. The funeral brings an end to the Bibas family’s year and a half long nightmare after the trio, along with father and husband, Yarden Bibas, were kidnapped from their home on October 7, 2023.

In an emotional storm, certain figures emerge as anchors. Ariel and Kfir Bibas embody this collective pain, giving form to trauma that would otherwise remain a formless cloud of anxiety and shock. Their recognizable image allows the mind to avoid slipping into an impalpable void and instead begin to process the loss.

On Friday morning, the boys’ aunt posted a grieving message on Facebook, vowing, “We are not giving up on your mom, Shiri.”