Overview

• The IDF and Shin Bet said a joint operation on August 10 killed a Hamas fighter alleged to have taken part in the kidnapping of Jarden/Yarden Bibas, with the announcement made public on August 19.
• Officials said the militant entered Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023 assault and helped abduct Bibas, part of an attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken into Gaza.
• Bibas survived captivity and was freed during a February truce, while the remains of his wife, Shiri, and their sons, Kfir and Ariel, were later transferred and buried.
• Israel says the mother and children were murdered by their captors in November 2023, whereas Hamas claims they were killed by an Israeli airstrike.
• Bibas said the killing gave him “a little” closure and added that full closure would come only with the return of roughly 50 remaining hostages.