This article originally appeared in Newsweek.
By Casey Babb, February 20, 2025
From the running “Napalm Girl” of the Vietnam War to Anne Frank and the Holocaust, children often come to symbolize the worst of human pain and suffering. The Bibas brothers—4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir—two red-headed boys who were kidnapped along with their parents on Oct. 7, 2023, must now be added to this list.
For more than 500 days, Israelis, Jews in the diaspora, and decent people around the world have anxiously prayed for their safe return—only to find out that they were likely killed many months ago—their remains along with the body of their mother Shiri returned to Israel on Feb. 20by Hamas. And while shockwaves of grief reverberate around the globe, this loss may have an impact on Israel and the broader Middle East that is felt forever. Indeed, it is likely that the “two-state solution” hasn’t just been paused—it died with the Bibas brothers and their mother in the tunnels of Gaza.
For Israel—where the country’s once vibrant peacenik community has rapidly dissolved since Oct. 7—the killing of the Bibas boys is likely the nail in the coffin. Even before their deaths were confirmed, some Israelis had already expressed there was “…no peace on the horizon,” while others stated more explicitly they no longer believe peace with the Palestinians is attainable. Underscoring the dwindling prospect of an end to the conflict, a recent survey found that nearly 90 percent of Israelis don’t believe Palestinians can be trusted. Now, with confirmation that the Bibas boys are dead, Israeli society will no doubt harden even further, making any idea of reconciliation and peace with the Palestinians all the more unpalatable.
In addition, all of this is unfolding while countries like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are desperately working to develop a post-war reconstruction plan for Gaza that avoids the mass resettlement of Palestinians—a counter to President Donald Trump‘s shocking proposal last month. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine that such a horrific and devastating development doesn’t make the jobs of these government representatives infinitely more difficult. Images of child-sized coffins laid next to their mother’s doesn’t symbolize peace and unity as much as it does failure, devastation, and loathing.
Further, for moderates on the Arab street—including those who have openly celebrated Israel’s astounding military successes and targeted assassinations since Oct. 7—this may very well lead to more apathetic thinking towards Palestinians, their grievances, and the idea of a two-state solution. As former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker remarked in 2024, virtually every Arab country in the region has long viewed Palestinians with “fear and loathing.” Hamas killing these baby boys certainly won’t help their case.
Additionally, as all roads of terrorism lead back to Tehran, news of the Bibas family murders could be the final straw, increasing the desire of Israel’s security establishment to finally strike Iran—something much of the Arab and Muslim world might actually support.
Beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jerusalem could find itself signing bilateral peace agreements with Arab nations sooner than anyone expected. Horrified by the murder of the young boys, Arab governments throughout the region could accelerate an end to their hostilities with the Jewish state in favor of a more humanist, peace-centered approach. History has shown us that wars can end on ethical and humanitarian grounds—and the killing of the Bibas brothers and their mother might be enough to jolt regional leaders to push for peace over conflict and life over death.
All told, in an Israel already shattered by the events of Oct. 7 and a region mired in chaotic change, fatigued by what feels like unrelenting and completely pointless war—the barbaric kidnapping and murder of two innocent brothers could transform the region in unexpected ways.
For Israel, this news has likely ended any chance for a two-state solution with the Palestinians—something that could be disastrous for the Palestinians and Israeli security over the long-term. Outside Israel though, the murder of Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri might bring enemies together with a real chance of expanding regional partnerships and peace agreements—something that outside the Abraham Accords has remained largely elusive for nearly 80 years.
For now, though, Israel and the Jewish world must mourn—everything else can wait.
Casey Babb is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Center for North American Prosperity and Security, a fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, an associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute in London, and an advisor with Secure Canada in Toronto