Birthday prayers at London vigil as Kfir Bibas turns two
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

Birthday prayers at London vigil as Kfir Bibas turns two

Kfir, five-year old brother Ariel, mother Shiri, 33 and father Yarden 35, are among 33 hostages expected to be released during the first stage of the ceasefire deal

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025
EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

The second birthday of Kfir Bibas, kidnapped by Hamas at just nine months old, has been marked at a vigil in London.

Held next to Save the Children UK headquarters, it followed news about the hostages-ceasefire deal signed between Israel and Hamas the day before.

Attendees and campaigners prayed and called for the immediate and unconditional release of Kfir and the other 97 hostages held captive.

Speakers included Moshe Levi, a brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, and Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, who were both kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7th.

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

Also present were Israel advocate and public speaker Hen Mazzig, former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy and co-founder of the Remember 7.10 campaign, Florit Shoihet.

A message from Ofri Bibas, Kfir’s aunt was broadcast, alongside a message from Thomas Hand and his daughter Emily, a former hostage who was kidnapped at the age of 8. Senior representatives from Save the Children also attended.

Just before the event began, an individual attacked the crowd. According to eyewitnesses, a young anonymous man scouted the gathering for about 15 minutes before going to destroy a display of toys for Kfir. He smashed personal belongings, and stormed into the crowd screaming “Free Palestine”.

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

The Community Security Trust (CST) and the police intervened and stopped the man, who was questioned and released with a warning.

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

Nivi Feldman, leader of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, said: “We marked Kfir Bibas’ birthday, but I am still waiting for the day we can celebrate it with him in person. We are holding onto hope, waiting for Kfir, his brother Ariel, and all the hostages to come home. Our message remains clear: until the last hostage is free, we will not stop.”

Florit Shoihet, co-founder of Remember 7.10 campaign, said: “The peaceful gathering for Kfir, an innocent toddler who has spent most of his life in Hamas’ captivity, was sadly disturbed by a hateful individual that physically attacked people in the crowd.

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

“Just like those who committed the atrocities of the October 7th massacre, he also could not see our humanity and the genuine sadness we all share in light of the ongoing plight of Kfir and the other 97 hostages. We know what our brothers and sisters are going through in captivity, and we will continue to remind the world to bring them all back, no matter how much hate we face.”

EJacobs Photography. Thursday 16th January 2025

Hen Mazzig, Israeli advocate and author said: “The tragedy of Kfir’s second birthday in captivity is a stark reminder of the human cost of this hostage crisis. No child should grow up as a bargaining chip, and no family should endure the torment of stolen lives. As we mark this painful milestone, we must remain united in our resolve to bring baby Kfir and all hostages home. This isn’t just a humanitarian issue; it’s a test of our shared humanity.”

Moshe Lavi said: “We must not stop advocating until every hostage is brought home. The voices of children like Kfir and his brother Ariel, who are still held hostage, and Roni and Alma who are growing up with a father as a poster as long as he’s in captivity, as well as countless others affected by this atrocity, call upon us to act with unwavering resolve. Let their stories inspire us to continue demanding justice and freedom for all.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: