A Hamas terrorist who took part in the kidnapping of former hostage Yarden Bibas during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Tuesday.
The strike on August 10 in Gaza killed Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar, who the military and Shin Bet said invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and abducted Yarden Bibas.
“A small part of my closure happened today,” Bibas reacted in a statement, thanking the security forces. “Thanks to you, he will be unable to hurt anyone else.”
He added that he was still waiting for further closure in the form of the return of his friends, twins David and Ariel Cunio, who are still held captive, as well as the other 48 hostages still held by terrorists, of whom 28 have been declared dead.
Bibas was released on February 1 of this year as part of the second ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
His wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 10 months, were abducted by the Mujahideen Brigades terror group and murdered in captivity. The bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were returned under the same deal earlier this year. An Israeli autopsy determined that they had been murdered by their Hamas guards weeks after their abduction.
Former hostage Yarden Bibas appears in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, March 18, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Since his return, Bibas has lobbied Israeli and American leaders to act to return the remaining captives.
He has said he met then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar while in captivity in Gaza, after which he was allowed to remain with his best friend, David Cunio, for two weeks before they were separated.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel