Week of February 25, 2025

As part of the phase one hostage release and ceasefire deal with Hamas, four bodies of Israelis were returned to their families so they could properly mourn and grieve their tragic deaths and bury them. The Bibas family had experienced excruciating pain to learn that the two small boys, Ariel and Kfir, were murdered in captivity just a few weeks after they were taken hostage. Hamas had claimed they died as a result of Israeli Air Force strikes on their building. Instead, Hamas brutally murdered them and tried to cover it up to make it appear as though they had been killed by Israeli bombing.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys—they killed them with their bare hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.” In addition, forensic and DNA tests showed that the body Hamas initially claimed belonged to the boys’ mother Shiri actually belonged to an unknown Gazan woman. Hamas claimed it was a mistake and quickly sent Israel another body, which Israel confirmed was Shiri’s. The body showed the same evidence of murder and efforts to cover up the brutality as with her children. Yarden Bibas, the husband and father, wants the world to know of the horrors, cruelty, and depths of evil Hamas has gone to. He was recently released from captivity in Gaza.

Please pray for Yarden Bibas, for Jesus’ love and comfort to surround him. Pray for the extended Bibas family as they continue in their grief, to know that many stand with them and wish for the evil to end.

Over the weekend, Hamas released the last six living hostages included as part of phase one of the current ceasefire deal. Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen were released in horrific propaganda scenes with masked Hamas gunmen and jeers from the crowd while the released hostages were forced to wave and smile at the cameras. Tal Shoham (39), along with his wife and two small children, were visiting family for the Simchat Torah (“Joy of the Law”) holiday at Kibbutz Be’eri in October 2023. They were hiding in the safe room but had to flee once Hamas lit their house on fire. Shoham’s wife, children, and extended family were taken hostage as well, but were released in November 2023. Other family members were killed. Never in the last 505 days was there a sign of life from him, and he did not know if his wife and
children had survived.

Eliya Cohen (27) and his fiancée were at the Nova Festival and tried to run away, but terrorists shot them, and they had to take shelter in a bomb shelter. Terrorists pulled Cohen away along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin (murdered in captivity), Or Levy (recently released), and Alon Ohel (still alive as a hostage, but injured). A recently released hostage said that Cohen had been chained up throughout his captivity and received very little food and daylight. Omer Wenkert (23) and Omer Shem Tov (22) were also at the Nova Festival and had called their parents scared and distraught. A Hamas video later showed Wenkert in the back of a pick-up truck heading into Gaza while Shem Tov’s family tracked his phone as he was taken into Gaza.

Hamas had held the remaining two hostages for nearly ten years. Avera Mengistu (37) and Hisham al-Sayed (37) are both mentally ill and walked into Gaza by their own choice. No amount of human decency and concern for their condition convinced Hamas to release the men to their worried families. Al-Sayed, a Bedouin Israeli, is the only hostage who has been released without a humiliating ceremony, which Hamas claimed they did out of “respect” for Israeli Arabs. This so-called “respect” did not stop Hamas from murdering and kidnapping Arab Israelis on October 7.

Please pray for the recovery of these men as they are welcomed back into the loving arms of their families.

In a series of miraculous, life-saving events, a vigilant bus passenger saw a suspicious bag left onna bus. She alerted the bus driver, who pulled into a small bus depot, called the police, and evacuated the area. Suddenly, an explosion tore through the bus. No one was hurt. The explosion was coordinated as two other buses exploded around the same time. CEO of Dan Bus Company, Ofir Karni said, “This was a well-organized attack across multiple locations. Fortunately, in two other cases, security teams discovered and neutralized the devices before they could go off.” A true miracle—quick thought and action saved dozens of lives.

Praise God for this miracle. Please pray the terrorists responsible repent of this crime and come to Jesus.

In this Inside Israel newsletter, our staff usually ask for prayer for Chosen People Ministries’ work in Israel. This week, however, they wanted to ask for prayer for people in Israel who are crushed, numb, devastated, broken, scared, and down because of the events of last week. The nation has been on a roller coaster these past few weeks and needs your prayers. For starters, one of the symbols and widely published footage of October 7 was the look of terror on Shiri Bibas’ face as she clutched her two little boys while Hamas took them hostage. Now they are home, but not alive. Our staff—and the nation—mourn the innocent.

Plus, while the nation is relieved to see—week after week—the release of her people, it is disheartening to see them looking like they saw and experienced the horrors of the Holocaust. The joy is hampered as Israel is releasing hundreds of Palestinian murderers and terrorists from jail in exchange for the lives of innocent Israels. Those convicted can easily regroup and inflict more terror, yet Israel does this because Israelis believe in saving lives. It is ripping hearts to know that there are more hostages still alive in Gaza, and Israel is not able to bring them out yet.

Finally, a miraculous development. The culmination of the coordinated (yet botched) series of bus bombings that were supposed to kill and wound hundreds has caused many to consider the Lord’s hand and mercy in saving and sparing many.

Lord God of Israel, watch over your people! Keep the evil one far from them. Bring them to a saving knowledge of the Messiah of Israel—Jesus. Thank you for your miracles and for life!

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