‘Happy Birthday’: Argentine-Israeli Baby Kidnapped by Hamas Turns 1

More than 100 days have passed since Hamas’ attack on Israel left more than 1,300 civilians dead, hundreds wounded and 240 kidnapped. Among the 136 people still held in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization are still children, women and men waiting to regain their lives, hug their families and return home. On January 18, Kfir Bibas celebrates its first anniversary. In this sense, relatives and friends of Bibas organized themselves to make a call with the slogan “Happy Birthday” to ask for the release of the baby. It will be on Wednesday, January 17, at 6 p.m. in Centennial Park where there will be a cultural, artistic and humanitarian meeting with the presence of different figures. Kfir Bibas, the Argentine-Israeli baby, was 9 months old when he was kidnapped along with his 4-year-old brother Ariel, his mother Shiri and his father Yarden from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel. He spent 1 out of every 4 days of his life in captivity. This is a stage of the baby’s growth where mom and dad come over to see if it’s okay, if it’s breathing.” Where the most important notes in the diary are the medical check-ups, where a lot of attention is paid to psychomotor development, their achievements are celebrated, their photos are shared. Around the date of the 1st birthday, the preparations for the celebration begin. But Kfir is still kidnapped, and so is his family. It is not known if they are together,” says the statement inviting the meeting. And then they add: “Free all the kidnapped people. We need the world to once again be a place where all girls and boys can play in peace. We can’t celebrate a birthday without the birthday boy.” The meeting is organized by a group of people self-convened for this action. On Wednesday, in the Mast sector of the Centennial Park (Avenida Díaz Vélez and Leopoldo Marechal), in the City of Buenos Aires, different activities will be held. Among the speakers, Sandra Miasnik, Kfir’s Argentinian aunt, will call for joining efforts to call for the release of her family, which became a symbol of Hamas barbarism. “We borrow Kfir’s wishes and on Wednesday we will ask for his release and that of all the kidnapped people. So that he can live in peace, that he can play again and be reunited with his family,” adds Michelle Wejcman, a member of the collective that organizes this meeting. Among the personalities who support the call are Julián Weich and Sebastián Wainraich, who from their Instagram accounts call for the meeting. In addition, Lito Vitale, León Gieco, Hilda Lizarazu, Alejandro Lerner, Topa, Adriana (Cantando con Adriana), Sebastián Wainraich and other artists show solidarity. 

Original source in Spanish