‘I turn to you, Mr. Trump’: An open letter from the aunt of the young hostages

Dear President-elect Donald Trump,

My name is Ofri Bibas Levy. Although you may not know me personally, you have surely heard of my brother Yarden Bibas, his wife Shiri, and Ariel and Kfir, their two red-headed children who have captured hearts around the world. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave you a photo of a young Ariel holding his Batman painting, with the words “I fly and save people trapped in a cave”—just as he and many others are trapped in a cave.

These children and their parents lived a normal family life—the busy life of parents with two children—until they were taken from us more than a year later. There is still hope: intelligence confirms that more than HALF of the 100 hostages still alive, but their time is running out fast. My family members are among those we can save, but only if we act now.

On October 7, 2023, they were violently separated from their daily lives. Yarden, their father, makes the tragic decision to separate from his family in a desperate attempt to protect them, but despite his efforts, his young sons Ariel and Kfir are kidnapped along with their mother, Shiri. Footage of their capture—showing terrified children clutching their mother’s arms—became a shocking symbol of Hamas’ brutality. Two months later, Hamas’ brutality reached new depths when they released a psychological warfare video showing them torturing Yarden in captivity, brutally telling him that his wife and children were dead—trying to break his spirit.

Recently, the world celebrated International Children’s Rights Day, a commemoration first established by Reverend Charles Leonard of the Universal Church in Chelsea, Mass., 168 years ago. On this important day, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child—a powerful convention that puts the welfare of children above all else. This declaration binds all of us to protect children from abuse, exploitation, abuse and neglect.

Kfir Bibas, left, and Ofri Bibas Levy, right, smile together under a tree.

Where is this commitment to these young children? Our shy, happy little Ariel was forced to mark her fifth birthday in the tunnels of Hamas, under the eyes of deadly terrorists, away from family and friends who love her. It has been a year since we suffered from not knowing the circumstances that he and his younger brother Kfir faced. Captured at just nine months old, Kfir has already spent his first birthday in captivity and will soon mark his second birthday this January at the hands of terrorists—if we don’t act fast enough. Time is of the essence—although we know that many of the hostages are still alive, their conditions are getting worse every day. These innocent men, women, and children struggle to survive under horrible conditions, making every moment of delay not only painful, but unforgiving.

Kfir Bibas, nine months old. (Thanks: Bring Them Home Now)

I turn to you, Mr. Trump, desperate and pleading: Help us where we all have failed. Use your unique, uncompromising, and creative approach to bring Kfir, Ariel, Shiri, and Yarden back to us. Returning all 100 hostages from Gaza is not only morally right—it is our humanitarian obligation.

After so many painful months, there are finally negotiations for an agreement. We must seize this opportunity to secure the release of all those held captive by Hamas—men, women, the elderly, and children—and reunite them with their families. Time is of the essence to move this deal forward, and the return of the hostages is a necessity for stability in the Middle East. There will be no peace until we bring them home: the living—more than half of those taken—to be restored, and the dead to be properly buried.

We appreciate the efforts of the American administration and others over the past year, and we ask you, President-elect Trump, to give us your voice and your hand so that Kfir and Ariel can celebrate their next birthday at home with us and their friends. . It is their right and our duty. So many precious lives can be saved.