Ariel and Kfir Bibas — two of the youngest hostages held in Gaza — became a symbol for Israelis of the brutality of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The return of what are presumed to be their bodies on Thursday dashed hopes they had survived captivity and struck another blow to a nation still reeling from Hamas' assault. The fate of Ariel and Kfir, just 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted, captivated Israelis, and the return, along with a body said to be that of their mother, Shiri Bibas, brings a tragic measure of closure to the country. But it is also likely to fuel anger over the government's failure to bring home some 250 hostages sooner and safely, and it could step up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire. The mother and children were taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Video of the abduction, with a terrified Shiri Bibas seen swaddling her two redheaded boys in a blanket and being whisked away by armed men, ricocheted around the world in the hours after the attack. Yarden Bibas, the father, was abducted and held separately and released on Feb. 1, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that paused the 15-month-long war in Gaza. During the first phase, a total of 33 hostages are to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight of those 33 were said by Israel to be dead. Since his release, Yarden Bibas has pleaded for information about his family, whose fate has been unclear for much of the war. While Hamas last year released a video of Yarden Bibas in captivity as a sign of life, nothing had been heard from his wife or children. The militant group claimed they were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the first weeks of the war, and filmed Yarden Bibas receiving the news. Israel did not confirm the claim, saying just that it had “grave concern” for their lives. The bodies released Thursday will now be formally identified, which could take up to 48 hours. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/israel-hamas-conflict/bibas-family-israel-grieves-hamas-turns-over-remains/507-61713bd0-0219-4611-ac56-7cfcb19f79c0