Family of Shiri Bibas condemns Israeli government's failure to save captives

At the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her two young children, her sister-in-law, Ofri Bibas Levy, expressed grief and anger over their deaths, accusing the Israeli government of prioritising vengeance over their rescue.

“For sixteen months, I've been speaking about you everywhere. It always hurt and intensified the longing, but talking about you also kept you present, alive. How can it be that you are no longer here?” said Levy, reported the Israeli media outlet Haaretz.

She described Shiri as “the perfect partner for Yarden. I couldn't have asked for anyone better for him. Loving, sensitive, caring, nurturing, calming.

“They could have saved you but preferred revenge. We lost. Our image of triumph will never happen,” she said, delivering a damning indictment of Israel’s actions.

“Our struggle against the enemies will be eternal, but we must always sanctify life, love of fellow humans, respect for the dead, and never leave anyone behind. Otherwise, we lose who we are,” she added.