Hostage Update and More News on Israel

This past Thursday, Hamas agreed, in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement, that they would release the bodies of 4 hostages. They were required to give those names to Israel prior to the release. Israel was given the names of the rest of the Bibas Family (Yarden -- husband/father was released from captivity just two weeks prior without the knowledge that his family had been murdered more than one year ago). In addition, an 83-year-old-deceased man was returned.

In addition to Shira (Yarden's wife), their two red-headed sons, Ariel and Kfir were named. Hamas had previously hinted that the family had been killed in an air strike from Israel but once the bodies of the boys were examined, it was determined that the babies’ captors murdered them with their bare hands, then mutilated their bodies in an attempt to conceal their crimes. 

Grief was compounded when forensic examiners confirmed that two of the coffins contained the remains of Ariel and Kfir Bibas but that their mother, Shiri, was not the woman in the coffin returned with them. This is a breach (once again) of the Ceasefire Agreement. Hamas now admits that the remains were that of a Palestinian woman from Gaza. I cannot imagine the trauma that Yarden is going through. After being kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and then living in captivity for over a year, and expecting to go home to his family, he is faced with this news. The question remains-- Where is Shiri? Is she alive?

For 17 months, many of us have stood alongside the hostage families in prayer as they awaited news of their loved ones.

Six more living hostages are scheduled to return on Saturday (Friday night USA time).

Please keep the rest of the hostages in prayer as well as the second negotiations between Israel and Gaza. Please also pray for the emotional and physical healing of the hostages who have been released. Thank you!

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