MILAN โ Italian pop artist aleXsandro Palombo unveiled a mural in Milan titled October 7, The Hostages, depicting Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. The large street work was placed in front of the Consulate General of Qatar in the city center.
The mural portrays the mother holding her children in a quiet, intimate composition. The childrenโs red hair is highlighted. That visual touch has become a symbol in international campaigns remembering the two boys, who were among the youngest hostages taken on October 7, 2023.
Palombo is known for provocative public works that address human rights and modern culture. He previously created murals in Milan that commemorated victims of the October 7 attacks and other wartime tragedies. Several of those works were vandalized or removed after hostile reactions.
The muralโs installation comes after local controversy earlier this year. A proposal to illuminate Palazzo Marino, Milanโs city hall, in orange as a tribute to Ariel and Kfir was not approved by municipal authorities in February 2025. The decision drew criticism from Jewish community leaders and citizens who saw the gesture as a modest act of solidarity with the victims and their families.
The Bibas familyโs ordeal and its aftermath remain a painful chapter in the wider war. On February 20, 2025, Hamas transferred coffins it said contained the remains of Shiri and her sons to the Red Cross, and the remains were subsequently handed to Israeli authorities. Israeli forensic teams later confirmed that the remains of the two boys were positively identified. At the time of the handover, there was significant international attention and a public display in Gaza before the transfer.
The return of the bodies generated immediate controversy. Israeli officials later announced that one of the returned remains was not that of Shiri Bibas, prompting sharp denunciations from Israeli leaders and an investigation by Hamas into the apparent mix-up. The episode heightened anger in Israel and raised questions about compliance with the terms of the ceasefire that allowed the transfers.
Local Jewish leaders said the new mural is both a memorial and a call for reflection. At a February event in Milan earlier this year, community representatives organized demonstrations of solidarity that used orange to honor the memory of Ariel and Kfir and other colors to signal the broader hostage crisis. โWe are not here to talk politics, but to show support for what is happening in Israel,โ a UCEI representative said at that gathering.
Art and memory intersect in contested public space. Palomboโs mural places a human face on the cost of the October 7 attacks. For many in the Jewish and pro-Israel community, the image provides a solemn place to remember the civilians who were killed and kidnapped on that day. For others, the choice of location and the political meaning of public memorials have provoked debate.
Palomboโs work is intended as testimony. In a city long attentive to public art and to the memory of wartime atrocities, the mural documents a recent tragedy, denounces violence, and asks passersby to reflect on the human toll of the war. The piece follows a string of high-profile installations by the artist that have aimed to keep public attention on victims and survivors.
This article is based on verified information from Reuters, The Guardian, The Associated Press, The Jerusalem Post, and other reporting on the Bibas family and aleXsandro Palomboโs Milan murals.