Having lived 104 days – more than a quarter of his life – in Hamas captivity, the youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, turned one year old on Thursday.

“This is Kfir Bibas. Kfir today, is celebrating one year since his birth,” Herzog said, showing the assembled a photo of the young hostage.

“Exactly a year ago, he was born to his parents, Shiri, his mother, and his father, Yarden, and his brother Ariel,” Herzog said. “His whereabouts are unknown. We know he was kidnapped by Hamas. We know that these barbaric terrorists have taken him, his mother his brother, and his father. We know that they are going through hell, and we don’t know their whereabouts.”

“The enemy is basically advocating jihadism, celebrating and glorifying terror, celebrating and glorifying the abduction of Kfir Bibas,” he continued. “From here, this incredible world stage, I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir, and all the hostages that are there.”

Bibas was kidnapped with his entire family from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz when he was only nine months old.

Hundreds of people holding orange balloons gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Thursday to mark Kfir’s birthday.

The balloons said on them “the saddest birthday in the world.”

Shiri’s cousins read a letter from Yarden’s sister, Ofri Bibas: “There’s so much we haven’t been able to do with you. Are you speaking any words, are you walking? The biggest gift we could give you would be to bring you home.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)