Hostage

Former hostage Elkana Bohbot recalls how faith, family helped him survive Hamas captivity

"First of all, what kept me going there, more than anything, was the belief that I would see my son Re'em again, my wife and my family," said Bohbot.

Elkana Bohbot with his wife Rivka Bohbot on October 19, 2025.
Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot speaks during a conference organized by the Israel Democracy Institute in Tel Aviv, October 15, 2026

'An insane reality': Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of blocking hostage deal despite unanimous support

 Southern Ayalon blocked as part of protests calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to achieve a hostage deal. August 1, 2024.

October 7 families to hold mass rally demanding state inquiry three days before Israeli elections

Maj.-Gen. David (Dado) Bar Kalifa, Head of the Manpower Directorate attends a State Control Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on September 17, 2025.

IDF Manpower Directorate head recounts former hostage's story of abuse in Gaza at memorial event


‘October 7 was no accident’: Ex-hostage Emily Damari calls on Britons to reject antisemitic denial

Damari also decried the escalating antisemitism faced by Jewish communities around the world, including the United Kingdom, in the wake of October 7.

British-Israeli Emily Damari, 30, a former hostage, has her hair done during a photo shoot for her clothing brand which carries the slogan ‘never lose yourself.’

Avinatan Or dug through Gaza cell in failed escape attempt, former hostage reveals

"In the army they always told us, there's no such thing as a 100% perfect defense, there will always be some weak point," he explained.

Avinatan Or returns home to hundreds cheering for him, October 21, 2025.

Nearly torn apart midair: A step-by-step rundown of the flydubai hijacking - explainer

"If Yaniv Hayun had pulled the controls hard upward while in the dive, he would have crashed the plane. The plane would have broken apart in the air," Ben Caspit explained.

Yaniv Hayun, who subdued the suspected terrorist aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026.

Former hostage Romi Gonen reveals footage from moments she was taken to Gaza

Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, 2023, after Hamas terrorists attacked the festival and communities across southern Israel.

Former hostage Romi Gonen speaks to Channel 12's "Uvda" about her experiences in Hamas's terror captivity, December 25, 2025.

Choosing life: Three years after being taken hostage, former Gaza hostages savor each moment

"I feel that I’m not alone and that there's so much love in this world, and we need to keep it with both our hands," Aviva Siegel said. "I feel very, very lucky to be alive."

British-Israeli Emily Damari, 30, a former hostage, has her hair done during a photo shoot for her clothing brand which carries the slogan ‘never lose yourself.’

Emily Damari shares unreleased hostage photos, says surviving Hamas captivity was a miracle

"Three years ago at this time on Simchat Torah I was deep, deep in the Gaza Strip," Damari wrote in her post.

Emily Damari is pictured in Shifa Hospital in Gaza shortly after her capture on October 7, 2023.

Former IDF negotiator says Israel could have ended Gaza war, freed hostages a year earlier

"We could have achieved the same strategic accomplishments in terms of damaging Hamas's military strength, and in terms of many other security issues, much earlier," said Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon.

IDF Paratroopers Brigade operating in the Gaza Strip. Pictures released on August 24, 2026.

Eli Sharabi asks UN Human Rights Council to 'name these crimes,' recognize hostage abuse as torture

“I have chosen the road of justice, beyond politics and grounded in our shared humanity,” he said. “This council must recognize the torture, demand criminal investigations, and confront the terror."

Eli Sharabi, a former hostage, holds a photograph of himself during his release by Hamas as he the United Nations Security Council in New York City, US, March 20, 2025

Ex-hostage Omri Miran to lead Salon Otef gathering to share his story with public

Miran, who was released from Gaza after 738 days in captivity, said that he views telling the stories of what happened as "an immensely important national mission, a life mission." 

A Salon Otef participant shares her personal story with guests gathered in a private home.

Bennett: IDF will collapse without haredi enlistment, Netanyahu is dismantling military

Former PM warns IDF 'on verge of collapse' without haredi conscription • Netanyahu 'leading the most serious threat of all' in mass draft evasions, vote for PM is 'direct vote against troops'

B'Yachad leader and former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, September 29, 2026