Ariel Bibas, who has been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, marked his fifth birthday on Monday - in captivity.
Ariel was kidnapped together with his parents Shiri and Yarden (Jordan) and his infant brother Kfir. While it is known that Yarden was separated from his wife and children, it is not clear whether Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir are still together, or whether any of the family survived.
In January, Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage to be taken captive by Hamas terrorists, marked his first birthday in captivity. Kfir has spent more of his life as a hostage than he did at home in freedom.
The Daily Mail published a letter from Ariel's grandmother, Pnina Bibas, which she penned for his birthday. In it, she calls Ariel by his nickname, "Luli."
"Dear Luli," Pnina wrote in the Daily Mail. "Can you feel our longing, the immense love that fills our hearts?"
"Nine months have passed since you were taken from us by bad people. Nine months of tears, prayers, and unwavering hope. The world around us continues to turn, but time seems to have frozen without you. You've grown a year older, but there's no celebration."
Pnina also questioned whether Ariel even knows that his birthday is coming, adding, "I try to imagine the moment you'll return to us. Will you still call me 'Grandma Nini'? Will you still want to play 'piggyback'? I can almost hear your laughter as you splash water on me while we water the plants in the garden."
The letter noted that Ariel's maternal grandparents were murdered in the October 7 massacre, but "we never stop hoping. Every day I dream of the moment we'll be together again. I imagine the excitement, the tears, the hugs. I see you shouting 'Grandma Nini!' and little Kfir, who might not remember me anymore, smiling at me with a big grin."
Until the family is reunited, she added, "Luli, know that you are loved, that we think of you every moment. And one day, we'll celebrate all the birthdays we've missed, together."