Israel mourns Bibas family as Hamas signals breakthrough on hostages

Thousands of people, some in tears, carrying blue and white Israeli flags or photographs of the family, walked in the procession or waited as a convoy bearing the coffins drove past. Many were carrying orange balloons, a symbol of mourning for the hostages, matching the red hair of the two Bibas boys.

“It’s still not really registering,” said Tal Ben-Shimon, who joined mourners at what has come to be known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. “They kind of represent all the families, the very young families, who were slaughtered on that day.”

Yarden Bibas, the father of the boys, who was captured separately from his family and released earlier this month, paid tribute in an emotional eulogy at their funeral.

“I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute,” he said in an address carried live on Israeli television.