Anger and grief: American, European politicians mourn Bibas family

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Leaders and politicians from across the Western world reacted on Thursday to the return to Israel of the bodies of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, a mother and her children whom many regarded as symbols representing the plight of the hostages in Gaza.

Stephanie Hallett, the interim chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, tweeted: “My heart is heavy knowing the remains of four deceased Israeli hostages — including sweet baby Kfir and darling Ariel — have finally returned home.”

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Hallett, who is currently the most senior U.S. diplomat in Israel, added: “May their memories be a blessing. Today is a solemn reminder of Hamas’s unimaginable cruelty. We won’t rest until all the hostages come home.”

Elise Stefanik, U.S. ambassador-designate to the United Nations, said: “The hearts of the world break to learn of the horrific fate of Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfri Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. The world must never forget that Hamas terrorists savagely murdered over 1,200 innocent civilians including women, children, babies and the elderly, and took hundreds hostage, committing unspeakable atrocities against humanity, on October 7.

“As we learn more about the tragic fates and devastating loss of life of these innocent victims, we are reminded that this must not be Israel’s fight alone but a fight between good and evil, civilization and barbarity. It has never been more important to show our unequivocal support for our most precious ally, and it is clear that under President (Donald) Trump’s leadership, America stands steadfast in support of Israel and the Jewish people. And we will not rest until every hostage is brought home.”

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French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “Shiri. Kfir. Ariel. Faces of innocence and love. Faces of an eternal humanity that the barbarity of Hamas will never abolish. France, mobilized for the release of all hostages, stands alongside Yarden and the Bibas family. In universal brotherhood.”

Yarden Bibas was freed on Feb. 1, but his wife and children were not. Hamas has claimed that they died following the family’s abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel did not confirm this claim until late Wednesday. Coffins said to be containing the bodies of the Bibas family were handed over to Israel on Thursday.

The reactions of prominent politicians in several Western countries ranged from outrage to deep sadness. At least one European Parliament lawmaker from France used the occasion to blame Israel for the family’s death, and another French lawmaker expressed “sadness” but stopped short of acknowledging who was responsible for the family’s death.

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In Argentina, an X account associated with the election campaign of President Javier Milei featured a post with a picture of the Bibas children and their mother and their last names in Hebrew. “Baruch dayan emet,” read the post, a Hebrew phrase spoken after learning of someone’s death, that means “blessed is the true Judge.”

Kfir and Ariel were citizens of Argentina through their father. According to some reports, Milei was planning to declare a national day of mourning for the children, but this was not communicated in official channels.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) noted her visit this week to Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she saw the Bibas home. “They are not just names in the news — they were a beautiful family with a future stolen from them. Hamas can rot in hell,” she wrote.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote following the news: “There is no moral universe in which a terrorist organization of baby-killers can remain in power. None. Every vestige of Hamas must be eradicated from the face of the earth. The acceptance of anything less is an unforgivable moral failure.”

Kayleigh McEnany, a White House press secretary under U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in office, said her thoughts were with Yarden Bibas.

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“It is impossible to fathom the depth of the Bibas family’s pain, especially Yarden Bibas,” McEnany wrote, adding that her family had prayed “continually” for the Bibases during their captivity. “May God hold these precious children and mother in His loving arms and comfort Yarden during this truly unimaginable time,” she added.

The embassy of the United Kingdom in Israel wrote on X: “It’s a stark reminder of the horrors Hamas inflicted on innocent people on 7/10.”

In Canada, Kevin Vuong, a lawmaker representing a district in Toronto for outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, wrote, “There are no words to describe the pain the Bibas family must be enduring right now. To our friends in the Jewish community who feel every loss as one of their own, I reiterate what I said to the members: The vast majority of Canadians stand with you and we grieve with you.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Hamas for the ceremony it staged featuring the dead hostages’ coffins.

The display featured masked terrorists receiving applause as they stood over the caskets. In the background, a giant banner showed a blood-spattered vampire resembling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing over a picture of the Bibas mother and children, alive and smiling.

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“Four coffins, paraded on a stage — images that are almost unbearable,” tweeted Baerbock. “The hostage families are exposed to the limitless terror of Hamas until the end.”

Geert Wilders, the leader of the Freedom Party, the largest in the Netherlands, wrote: “Hamas scum. The parading of bodies with music and disrespect. They have no honor and know only hate.” He ended his tweet with “Am Yisrael Chai,” Hebrew for “the People of Israel lives.”

United Nations rights chief Volker Turk also condemned the display. “Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families,” he said.

In Germany, Karoline Preisler, a member of the Bundestag for the Free Democratic Party, tweeted that the death of the Bibas family shows that “The terrorists murder women, children, old men. It is hatred.” Maxime Verhagen, a former foreign minister of the Netherlands, retweeted Preisler’s post.

Marion Maréchal, a European Parliament lawmaker from France and the niece of the right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, also eulogized the Bibas family.

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“Little Kfir Bibas was the symbol of the horror of Oct. 7 and of hostages. It is with great sadness and immense anger that we learn today of his death as well as those of his mother and brother,” Maréchal, a rising political star, wrote. She added a picture of Kfir to her tweet.

Rima Hassan, another European Parliament member from France, for the far-left La France Insoumise (“France Unbowed”) party, blamed Israel for the family’s death, repeating a Hamas claim made shortly after their capture. “Kfir, Ariel and Shiri Bibas were killed by an Israeli strike. This had also been communicated and confirmed in November 2023. Thank you for being accurate,” wrote Hassan, who has defended Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

Hassan’s fellow party member Antoine Léaument, a lawmaker in the French National Assembly, used neutral language to convey sadness over the family’s death without identifying the party responsible for their murder. “Immense sadness to know that these little ones and their mother died when we were hoping for their return,” he tweeted.

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