WATCH: Israelis gather in solemn tribute as Bibas family's remains arrive at Abu Kabir

In a heart-wrenching moment that captured both national grief and solidarity, hundreds of Israeli citizens gathered today to receive the convoy carrying the remains of Shiri Bibas and her young children, Ariel and Kfir, as it arrived at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. The crowd spontaneously broke into Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah" (The Hope), while others called out "Slicha" (Sorry) – a powerful expression of collective mourning and regret.

The scene marked a somber culmination to the tragic story of the Bibas family, who were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. The presence of Ariel, 4, and baby Kfir, who was just 9 months old at the time of the kidnapping, had become a particularly poignant symbol of the hostage crisis.

The gathering of citizens, standing in solidarity along the convoy's route, reflected the deep impact the Bibas family's fate has had on the nation. The spontaneous singing of "Hatikvah," a song about eternal Jewish hope, juxtaposed against the backdrop of profound loss, embodied the complex emotions of a country in mourning.

The crowd's calls of "Slicha" (Sorry) seemed to echo the nation's collective apology for not being able to bring Shiri, Ariel and Kfir home alive.

This moment of national mourning comes as Israel continues to grapple with the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the ongoing situation regarding remaining hostages in Gaza.

ZAKA volunteers, who witnessed Hamas's atrocities up close in the Gaza envelope communities on October 7, also accompanied the convoy of coffins carrying the bodies of the kidnapped victims on their way to the Institute of Forensic Medicine"