Video: Documentation of the release of the two abductees Yelena Tropanov and Irena Tati/Photo: Reuters and documentation on social networks according to section 2A of the Copyright Law
Another 12 abductees were released from Hamas captivity into Israel on Wednesday after being captured in an attack on the Gaza envelope on October 7. These are their names and stories.
Raya Rotem
Raya, 54, from Kibbutz Be'eri, was abducted along with her 13-year-old daughter Hila and her daughter's friend, Emily Hand, 9. The latter were released from captivity while Raya, who cared for both of them, remained in the Gaza Strip.
On the morning of Black Saturday, October 7, Hila managed to escape from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri, but Hamas terrorists caught her while she was hiding in a bush. Raya managed to write to her brother that she and Hila had been kidnapped.
Raya's daughter told her family after her release that her mother had been with her throughout her captivity, and Hamas had separated them two days before her release – contrary to the abductees' deal.
Raya Rotem/documentation on social networks according to section 27A of the Copyright Law
Raz Ben Ami
Raz Ben Ami, 57, was abducted with her husband, Ohad, from their home in Kibbutz Be'eri. Raz suffers from an illness and is treated regularly at the hospital. A fan will remain in captivity.
Raz Ben Ami/Official website, Headquarters of the Abductees
Jordan Roman
Yarden Roman, 36, from Givatayim, was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri. She was kidnapped along with Carmel Gat, her husband's sister, who will remain in captivity. Her sister Ronnie said: "It's not a movie. This is our reality. We just want to see our sister and we don't know how she's doing."
Jordan Roman/official website, Headquarters of the Abductees
Liat Atzili
Liat Atzili, 49, from Nir Oz, was abducted from her home together with her husband, Aviv. Liat, a history and civics teacher and educator at a school in the surrounding communities, locked herself in the safe room. Aviv, the manager of Nir Oz's garage and workshop, jumped in with the alert squad to protect the kibbutz. Aviv will remain in captivity in Gaza.
Liat and Aviv Noble who were kidnapped to Gaza/Courtesy of the family
Moran Stella Yanai
Moran Yanai, 40, from Be'er Sheva, was kidnapped from the nature party in Reim. Her family found out about her abduction in a video posted on social media. "At <>:<> in the morning, she called my father and told him she was in trouble," her brother Leon said. "At <>:<>, my mother tried to call and she said they were being shot." Then came the video of her sitting and begging for her life: "She looked really captive."
Moran Stella Yanai/Screenshot, courtesy of the family
Liam Orr
Liam, 18, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri alongside his cousins, Alma (13) and Noam (17) Or. The latter were released last night from Hamas captivity as part of the deal, and are waiting for their cousin.
Liam Orr/Social Media Documentation under Section 27A of the Copyright Law
Itay Regev
Itai, 17, from Herzliya, spent time with his sister Mia at a party in Reim. That night, they returned from a three-week family vacation in Mexico.
Mia, 21, managed to call her father and told him that she and her brother were being shot. Contact with them remained at 09 a.m. on Black Saturday morning, October 00. The family discovered that the two had been abducted to Gaza after a Hamas video was circulated showing the two on a pickup truck alongside the organization's terrorists.
Sister Mia was discharged this week and had to undergo surgery. Her mother Mirit said after the operation that Mia was doing well: "We are happy, but our hearts are still in Gaza with Itai."
Itai Regev with his sister Mia/Courtesy of the family
Ofir Engel
Ofir Engel, 17, from Jerusalem, spent the weekend of October 7 with his partner Yuval in Kibbutz Be'eri. From there he was abducted to the Gaza Strip with his partner's father, Yossi Sharabi. Yossi will remain in the Gaza Strip.
Ofir Engel who was kidnapped to Gaza / Courtesy of the family
Second Fellow
Amit Shani, 16, slept with his mother in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7. At 12:30 P.M., terrorists took him out of the safe room with his mother and two sisters at gunpoint. They put Amit in a car with other people in it and kidnapped him in front of his mother and sisters, who survived. Amit likes to surf, watch soccer and listen to music in his spare time.
Second colleague abducted to Gaza/documentation on social networks under section 27A of the Copyright Law
Gali Tershansky
Gali Tershansky, 13, from Kibbutz Be'eri, was abducted on October 7. Gali managed to write to her family that terrorists had entered the house and sawed down the safe room door. She managed to jump out of the window and was declared missing for three weeks until the family received word that she had been kidnapped. Her brother Lior was murdered in the attack.
Gali Tershansky who was abducted to Gaza/documentation on social networks according to section 27A of the Copyright Law
Yelena Tropanov and Irena Tati
Yelena Tropanov (50) and Irena Tati (75) are the two Israeli abductees holding Russian citizenship who were released earlier today from captivity in Gaza. Trofanov was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she immigrated with her husband Vitaly, who was murdered in the October 7 Hamas terror attack. Along with Yelena, her 73-year-old mother, Irena Tati, and Yelena's son, Sasha, who was kidnapped along with his partner Sapir Cohen, were also kidnapped.
Yelena Tropanov, Irena Tati, upon their release from Hamas captivity and their transfer to the Red Cross/documentation on social networks according to section 27A of the Copyright Law
Yelena and Irena, who have Russian citizenship, were released because of Hamas' gesture to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sasha and Sapir will remain in captivity for the time being. About a month ago, Yelena was documented in a video released by Hamas, along with Daniel Aloni and Roni Kirscht, who had already been released and returned to Israel.
Shahar, who is leading the fight to bring back the Trofanov family along with Sasha's friends, said: "We all just said there when we saw that they were released. We're halfway there."
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