Israeli Embassy in New Delhi turns orange in tribute to family killed by Hamas

Shiri and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were kidnapped from their home on October 7, 2023, and held captive for over 500 days before being laid to rest, according to the Israeli Embassy on Thursday.

"The Bibas family were kidnapped from their home on October 7, 2023, during Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, and yesterday, after over 500 days in captivity, were finally laid to rest in peace," read the embassy's statement.

The Embassy was lit up in orange to serve a statement of remembrance and solidarity and honouring the memory of the innocent lives lost. "Our thoughts are with the father of the family, Yarden Bibas, who was recently released from captivity, in this difficult time," the statement added.

Ambassador of Israel to India, Reuven Azar, expressed profound sorrow and outrage, vowing to prevent such atrocities from happening again and calling for global support in the fight against terrorism.

He said, "On this sad day, people all over the world stand in support of the Bibas family as they bury their loved ones, who were atrociously kidnapped from their beds on October 7th and murdered in captivity. We vow to never let anything like this to ever happen again. We will destroy Hamas and any terror organization threatening our people. We call our friends from around the world to stand with us in our joint fight against radicalization and terror."

The Embassy reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for justice and seeking the safe return of remaining hostages held in Gaza. The people of Israel appreciate the support and solidarity from friends and well-wishers in India.

Yesterday, Hamas announced that they had reached an agreement to resolve Israel's delay in releasing 620 Palestinian prisoners, who were initially scheduled to be freed last week, according to a report by Aljazeera.

This follows Hamas honouring its part of the ceasefire agreement by releasing six Israeli captives from Gaza.

According to Aljazeera, Hamas confirmed on Wednesday that Israel will release more Palestinian women and children from its prisons on Thursday, while Hamas will simultaneously hand over the bodies of the four Israeli captives.

The latest agreement will fulfill both sides' commitments under the first phase of the ceasefire, during which Hamas is returning 33 captives, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.