The uncle of the Israeli mother who was captured on video being kidnapped by Hamas with her two red-headed toddlers is calling on President Biden to give an ultimatum to the terrorist organization to secure their immediate release and warn, “Do something, or else.”
Maurice Shnaider, 67, said he will forever be haunted by the image of his niece, Shiri Bibas, being led away from her home on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists while she desperately clung onto her boys, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 1, the youngest hostage being held in Gaza.
Now six months after their kidnapping, Shnaider, of Kingston, NY, said he’s tired of waiting and traveling from rally to rally only to hear that the hostage talks have been delayed again.
“I want Biden to tell Hamas, to tell Qatar negotiators, ‘Do something, or else,’” the frustrated uncle told The Post. “If enough pressure is put on them, then maybe we can finally see something change.”
Shnaider said he was at home when he first found out that Shiri, 32, and her husband, Yarden Bibas, 34, were victims of Hamas, with the frightened uncle turning on his TV to be greeted with the harrowing image of Shiri’s kidnapping.
“I never want to watch that again,” he said as he teared up recalling the footage. “I can’t erase that image from my mind. I just want to remember Shiri’s smiling face.”
The Bibas family, however, received more grim news the following month, when Yarden was forced to be in a Hamas propaganda video claiming his wife and children were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Shnaider said he could only stomach two seconds of the video before shutting it off.
“Why would I need to watch more? Two seconds is more than enough to see the pain Yarden’s face,” he said of his nephew-in-law, who he had bonded with over their love of muscle cars.
Rather than let the pain paralyze him, Shnaider and his family have joined those in the US demanding the release of the 134 hostages in Gaza, which include five Americans who are believed to still be alive.
Shnaider recently attended back-to-back rallies in Albany and Washington DC, as well as previous meetings with UN officials.
Yet despite their best efforts, the families of the hostages feel like there’s little sense of urgency in freeing their loved ones.
“I’m sick and tired of listening to politicians, UN heads saying, ‘We understand your pain,’” Shnaider said. “No you don’t. If you did, you would be doing something about it.”
After six months of demanding action, Shnaider said the worst part was not knowing anything about the hostages and the fate of young Ariel and Kfir, the latter of whom celebrated his first birthday in captivity.
Kfir’s birthday was celebrated around the world by supporters, including Shnaider who helped light a candle on a cake for the birthday boy during a demonstration in Central Park on Jan. 18.
“Thousands came out with cake and balloons, but where’s the birthday boy? He’s learning to walk on dirt in Hamas tunnels,” Shnaider said as he sobbed.
“Ariel and Kfir have two young cousins who keep asking, ‘When are they coming back?’” he added. “What do you tell them?”
