After 104 days in Hamas’s captivity, the youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, turned one year old on Thursday.
Israeli President Herzog begins Davos address by showing a picture of Kfir and noting his birthday to the audience.
“This is Kfir Bibas. Kfir today, is celebrating one year since his birth. Exactly a year ago, he was born to his parents, Shiri, his mother, and his father, Yarden, and his brother Ariel,” Herzog said.
“His whereabouts are unknown. We know he was kidnapped by Hamas. We know that these barbaric terrorists have taken him, his mother his brother, and his father. We know that they are going through hell, and we don’t know their whereabouts.
“The enemy is basically advocating jihadism, celebrating and glorifying terror, celebrating and glorifying the abduction of Kfir Bibas,” Herzog stated. “From here, this incredible world stage, I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir, and all the hostages that are there.”
Today is Kfir Bibas’s 1st birthday.He was abducted aged nine months. He has now been a hostage of Hamas for one-quarter of his sorry life. pic.twitter.com/fiRYBacHlL
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) January 18, 2024
Bibas was kidnapped with his entire family from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz when he was only nine months old. Approximately a quarter of his life has been held captive by a terrorist organization.
Bibas is the youngest hostage currently being held by Hamas.
The Rishon Lezion and Tel Aviv municipalities will light up the City Hall in both cities in orange, matching the color of his hair, N12 reported.
His birthday was celebrated by community members wishing for his return
Earlier this week, Kfir’s birthday was celebrated at Kibbutz Nir Oz’s children’s home, with the community members wishing for his return together with his mother, Shiri, his father, Yarden, and his brother Ariel. Dozens of orange balloons were released in honor of the Bibas family, i24 News reported.
Last week, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, marked Kfir’s birthday on the stage of the UN General Assembly, presented a cake in his honor and said: “I ask that Kfir’s birthday cake remain on the podium as a painful memory of the baby who spent a quarter of his life in captivity.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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