How good it is that you came home: The third phase of releases was completed today (Sunday) after 13 abductees arrived in Israel after being held captive by Hamas since October 7.
This is their story:
Abigail Idan (4), Kfar Aza
After more than 50 days in captivity, the 4-year-old girl who was kidnapped alone to Gaza is making her way to Israel. Her parents, news photographer Roi and her mother Smadar, were murdered on Kibbutz Kfar Azza, and she will return from captivity without receiving a hug from them. Her older brothers Amalia, 6, and Michael, 8, survived after hiding in a closet in the safe room next to their mother's body.
On October 7, Abigail knocked on the door of her neighbors, the Brodetz family. Father Avichai noticed her full of blood, which was later revealed to be her father's blood. He took her into the safe room to be with his wife and three children, and Abigail was eventually kidnapped along with them.
Last weekend, Abigail marked her birthday in Hamas captivity. Her story made waves, and she entered the hearts of many Israelis who were just waiting for her to appear on the list of those released. US President Joe Biden was even asked if Abigail would be among the hostages released as part of the deal, and replied: "I'm crossing my fingers."
Abigail Idan, photo: uncredited
Hagar (40) Ofri (10), Yuval (8) and Uriah (4) Brodetz, Kfar Aza
The father who fought to save his family: For 50 days, since his family was kidnapped, Avichai Brodetz barely slept. He embarked on a public and media campaign to save his wife and children, who were kidnapped together with the girl Abigail Idan, their neighbor, who hid with them in the safe room after her parents were murdered.
On the morning of the attack, Avichai Brodetz heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he noticed Abigail with the blood of her father, Roy Idan, who was his best friend. He left Abigail with his wife Hagar and went out to fight and try to save the Idan family, but the terrorists took over the kibbutz – and he was unable to return to his kidnapped family.
Hagar and Avichai met in the army about 20 years ago, and have been together ever since. The family says 10-year-old Ofri is "Daddy's girl," and together they love to play guitar. 8-year-old Yuval is a "sensitive child and pure soul," and 4-year-old Uriah is the smallest and naughtiest. The day before the massacre on the kibbutz, the family celebrated Ofri's 10th birthday. On the table was a birthday cake that did not have time to be eaten until the end – the soldiers who came to inspect the house found it, and began to tear up.
Hagar, Ofri, Yuval and Uriah Brodetz, photo: uncredited
Dafna (15) and Ella (8) Elyakim, Kfar Aza
From the Inferno to the Embrace of Mama Maayan: On Black Saturday they were kidnapped from their father's home in the village of Gaza, while their father Noam was murdered.
The terrorists who infiltrated the family's home on October 7 caught Noam and the two girls in the house, along with Dikla Arava, Noam's partner, and her 17-year-old son Tomer. Using the family's mobile phones, the terrorists made a live broadcast showing them being held together. The footage shows Noam with a leg injury while trying to protect his daughters. The day after the abduction to Gaza, photos of Dafna and Ella were seen in captivity in Gaza, while a few days later the bodies of Noam, Dikla and her son Tomer were discovered.
Fifteen-year-old Daphne is a talented girl, full of life and surrounded by friends. 15-year-old Ella is a happy, funny girl and a born dancer. Throughout this period, Aman Maayan fought for their return.
In a column published in Israel Hayom ahead of International Children's Day last week, she wrote: "I miss my daughters, who were kidnapped from Nahal Oz on that Black Saturday. They were pulled out of bed in a pajama shirt and shorts, even without shoes, a moment after they were separated from their father Noam, his partner Dikla and her son Tomer. They may have even seen the moment they were murdered. If my daughters see this article, I want them to know that I'm doing everything I can to get them home safe and sound, and soon. I won't stop fighting for them until I see them at home."
Ella and Dafna Elyakim, photo: uncredited
Chen (49), Agam (18), Gal (11) Tal (9) Goldstein-Almog, Kfar Aza
On October 7, the family went through hours of inferno, during which the father of the family, Nadav, 49, and the eldest sister Yam, 20, were murdered.
Nadav was a triathlete and Ironman who was recovering from an injury, who was apparently murdered when the terrorists realized they could not take him to Gaza. Along with him, his soldier daughter, Yam, was also murdered.
Omri Almog, her brother Chen, said of the family: "Chen is a lioness, a very strong woman who I am sure looks after the children. Agam is a wonderful, beautiful and sensitive girl who helps everyone and loves to work. Gal is a goalkeeper, a soccer player, a very sensitive and smart child, and little Tal loves basketball. I intend to fight for what's left of my family, even for my parents."
Tzlil, Omri's wife, added: "Tal, the youngest son, loved to photograph himself. The only phone they found in their home was his, and there are plenty of videos of him filming himself. They are children who are used to being outside, very independent, and now they are imprisoned without employment, frightened alongside terrorists. I don't know if they see the light of day or eat properly, this thought is mind-boggling."
Chen, Agam, Tal and Gal Goldstein-Almog, photo: uncredited
Alma Avraham (84), Nahal Oz
Waiting to give her mother her first hug: Alma was kidnapped on a motorcycle from her kibbutz to Gaza, and since then her children have been crying out to bring her home.
On the morning of October 7, when sirens began in Nahal Oz as well, Alma, who lives alone, entered the safe room. Like the rest of the kibbutz residents, she was instructed not to leave. While there, she spoke with her son Uri Ravitz, who said: "She said she was in the safe room alone. I told her that there was an infiltration of terrorists in Sderot, and it took me a while to understand that she was saying, 'There is also here.'"
The terrorists who arrived at the kibbutz broke into her home and kidnapped her. When one of her children arrived at her house, he found an empty, upside-down, destroyed house. The safe room in the house was open and her bed was upside down. The family received information that Alma may have been kidnapped, and later a photo came to confirm this.
Her son said: "I look at the picture and I see my 84-year-old mother sitting on a motorcycle, with two armed men next to her and her face turned back a bit, but I know it's her. Please bring my mother home. She is a very beautiful woman, both inside and out. It has the innocence of the person who established this country."
Alma Avraham, photo: uncredited
Adrian (Aviva) Sigal (62), Kfar Aza
Waiting for Grandma's Hug: Adrienne Siegel was kidnapped from Gaza along with her boyfriend, Keith, 64, who unfortunately remained a captive in Gaza. The two lived on the kibbutz for more than 40 years, where they arrived after falling in love with its beauty and where they established their family, including four children.
On the morning of October 7, the family heard from a neighbor that terrorists had arrived at his house, and he managed to smuggle them out. Shir, Adrian's daughter, said her parents were people who needed their medication: "I know that my parents are not people who fight, they are sensitive people, and it was clear to me that if the terrorists entered their home, they would go with them."
From what the Sigal family knows, the terrorists abducted the couple to Gaza in the family car. Since then, their five grandchildren have been looking forward to their arrival. "We sat down in the living room and held hands in a circle, and my sister tried to tell them where my grandparents were. It was heartbreaking, and to this day there's not a day they don't ask where they are when they'll be back."
Adrian (Aviva) Siegel, photo: uncredited
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