A mural honoring the Bibas family, kidnapped and killed by Hamas, was vandalized during a memorial event at Milan’s central synagogue. The mural, titled "October 7, The Hostages," was created by Italian artist aleXsandro Palombo and unveiled earlier this month in front of the Consulate General of Qatar. It depicts Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Kfir and Ariel, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and later killed during the war in Gaza.
During Wednesday’s memorial ceremony for the victims of the Hamas massacre, someone covered the face of Shiri Bibas in the mural with a poster reading “NO WAR,” altering the artwork’s original message.
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Vandalized mural of the Bibas family dedicated to the victims of October 7
(Photo: Vanessa Esteban)
Palombo is known for his socially conscious pop art and public installations centered on civil memory, inclusion and human rights. His works have often been the target of vandalism. A mural dedicated to Nova Festival survivor Vlada Patapov was damaged just hours after its 2024 unveiling. Similar attacks have targeted Palombo’s tributes to Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre, Sami Modiano and Edith Bruck.
2 View gallery
Vandalized mural of the Bibas family dedicated to the victims of October 7
(Photo: Vanessa Esteban)
Many of those works are now preserved in the permanent collection of Rome’s Shoah Museum, which displays them in the historic Jewish Ghetto district, recognizing their value in combating hate, antisemitism and historical denial.
Palombo, a reclusive yet globally recognized artist, is celebrated for confronting injustice through provocative commentary on pop culture, ethics and human rights.
First published: 01:40, 10.18.25