In the hope that they will return – to the places that most symbolize what is so incomprehensible to them, the routine: 100 days ago, Israel's greatest nightmare was realized – both personally and nationally. Over 240 Israelis – including soldiers, men, women, children and elderly and sick people – were abducted to the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists. 121 were released in the previous deal, and 131 of them remain in captivity, dealing with poor nutrition, lack of medicine, humiliation, cold and fear.
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Her kidnapped families are waiting for them at home, and have not lost hope of seeing their loved ones alive again. Even in their absence, they celebrate birthdays, walk for them in the rain, and travel to the ends of the world to free them from hell. When they return, they promise to take them back to the most secure place where they loved to play, practice, play or just lounging and resting. This is the place they miss the most and want to return the most.
The place that symbolizes more than anything else the blessed routine and normal life. We returned with four families of abductees to these places, heard from them their dream of the moment of reunification and prayed together with them that this moment would not be long in coming.
Everyone is waiting for Doron in the clinic
Doron Steinbark (30), a veterinary nurse from Kfar Gaza, loves to help animals
Doron Steinbrecher's family outside the animal clinic where she worked, Photo: None
"Doron has been involved in helping animals all her life, and more than once she picked up an abandoned kitten she found. She has two tattoos. One of our dog who passed away, and another tattoo of a dog and hearts," says Yamit Ashkenazi, the older sister of Doron Steinbrecher, 30, who was kidnapped from Kfar Gaza. Doron is a veterinary nurse at the home animals (dogs, cats) clinic of veterinarian Dr. Itay Sabag, in Nir Akiva.
She has been working and managing there for over five years. The entire team is waiting for you to return to the place she loves and loves her. "She is very dedicated to the work, all heart and the customers love her. After they realized that Doron was kidnapped, they didn't stop asking to help and asking what can be done," Yamit continues, "even when clients turn when the clinic is closed, she is always ready to help, even if they responded to her with nerves, she would accept it with understanding and inclusion because she understood that they were in a difficult situation."
Doron has been in captivity for 100 days: "That's 136 days in Hamas captivity with inhumane conditions in which Doron doesn't get her medicine. Talk about sexual assault. I don't want to imagine what they're doing to my little sister. During the previous hostage return deals, the feeling was that Doron was close to returning, when that didn't happen we felt that she had been kidnapped again. As a resident of Kfar Gaza myself, there is talk of revival and continuity. But you can't make difficult and decisive decisions that we have <> abductees."
"Doron doesn't get her medicine." Yamit, Doron Steinbrecher's sister, photo: None
Yamit and Doron's parents, Roni and Simona, also live in Kfar Gaza, the older brother generation lives in the center. On the Saturday of the massacre, Doron heard shots and shouts in Arabic outside her apartment. At that moment, she thought about her nephews Libby (7) and Roy (3.5) and called her sister Yamit to check that they were safe. When she realized there was an attack on the youth neighborhood where she lived. Her mother and sister tried to calm her down by phone and ensure that the military was on their way, but the forces did not arrive.
Four hours after the attack began, she sent her friends a recording in which she said, 'I've been caught.' Later, a family discovered that they had been kidnapped in Gaza. Yamit adds: "At any given moment she was with the children. Even when my husband and I were at the Tamar Festival, she came to sleep with them. We spent 21 hours in the safe room. Terrorists tried to enter our house. We didn't tell the children that there were terrorists, like in the movie Life is Beautiful, we said that outside they were our soldiers. In the end, we had to tell Libby (7), and we told her that we were doing everything to bring Doron back.
"She was very involved, she told me: 'Mom, it's not fair that 'Dodo' (Doron's nickname; N.D.) Not coming back.' This week, when I went to the hostage rally, she told me, 'Mom, you keep saying you're going to get his uncle. And ask them to bring her and she doesn't come back, you're not doing enough.' It's hard. We have no sign of life. No one who returned from captivity met her. I want to believe that all our wars are just to bring Doron back to our lives."
Waiting for a picnic in the new house
Ofri Bibas, sister of Yarden Bibas, dreams of family reunion
Ofri Bibas-Levy and her family with the Bibbs' posters, where they are waiting to have a picnic with them, Photo: Eyal Margolin - Ginny
"The picnic was a kind of tradition for me and my brother Yarden with our families. We used to meet a lot, my 4-year-old children Tuam and 4-year-old Negev along with Ariel (1) and Kfir (18). Until August, we lived in Re'im, they would come to us and we to them," says Ofri Bibas-Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, who was kidnapped to Gaza along with his family, his wife Shiri and their redheaded children, Ariel and Kfir, who will celebrate his birthday in four days (1.<>).
She says: "They haven't made it to our new home in the north yet and we're waiting for them here, for a family picnic. Our children are very good friends. Jordan talked a lot about wanting the children to grow up together, to be cousins and close friends. The meetings were important and they considered moving to the north, but the kidnapping ended everything."
It's not an easy time for a family that is marking 100 days without their loved ones: "I think no one believes we've reached this. I grab my head and don't understand how this situation is part of our reality. I see it as a kind of omission, an abandonment – one after the other. It is still not felt that the abductees are a top priority. Our fear is that if they don't come back now, some of them will come back as bodies, and I don't know how we can continue from here."
The Bibas family from Nir Oz was kidnapped on Black Saturday. The terrorists who infiltrated the kibbutz arrived at their home, penetrated the locked door with a screwdriver and equipment they had brought with them, and entered the safe room where the four were hiding. Father Yarden informed his family about the terrorists' entry and wrote: "It feels like the end." Mother Shiri was photographed terrified holding her two sons, Ariel and Kfir. Jordan, who tried to protect the family with his personal weapon, was attacked. In the photos, he is seen on a motorcycle between two terrorists, wounded and bleeding from the head.
In late November, the Hamas terror organization claimed that Shiri and the two sons had been killed by IDF bombings, but the IDF did not verify the information. Hamas also released a video of Jordan from captivity. "The deal was a ray of light, we thought Shiri and the children were going to be released. On the last day we realized that the family was not coming back. Then we also received the Hamas announcement and a video of Jordan. Every time you think you've reached the bottom of helplessness, you discover there's worse."
"We thought they were going to be released." The Bibas family, photo: None
However, Ofri is not ready to stop fighting: "First of all, we know for sure that Jordan is alive. I don't know what his physical or mental state is and I'm not willing to give up. In addition, we believe and feel within ourselves that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir are alive. And we continue to act and demand their release as soon as possible."
Alon loves being at sea the most
Alon Ahel (22), a gifted musician, was kidnapped from the party in Re'im
Alon Ahel's parents are waiting for him in the place he loved so much - the beach, photo: Michel Dot Com
"I didn't believe we would reach the 100th day and Alon wouldn't be home yet. I can't believe it's been more than three months, I don't grasp it, it doesn't make sense," says Idit Ahel, mother of 22-year-old Alon Ahel, who was kidnapped on Black Saturday for the reason in Re'im (Nova), adding that "not enough efforts are being made to bring him and the other abductees home."
Together with Kobi, Alon's father, they are sure that one of the first places Alon will visit will be the sea he loves so much: "Alon loves to travel, to be outside. Also in nature and especially in the sea. Most of the time he can be found driving to the peaceful and calm beach. On weekends, he likes to walk with friends in the great outdoors – and even when friends come to our house, they will always sit outside."
The night before the attack, Alon and four of his friends came to a party in Re'im (Nova). When the shooting began, they fled the area and hid in a shelter because of the rockets. When the terrorists got there, they threw grenades into it. Alon and people who were with him managed to throw some of the grenades back out, but some of them were hit and killed.
At some point, the terrorists went inside, abducted Allon and three others and led them to Gaza. "He was kidnapped alive from the shelter and I believe he is alive," Idit says. "Since he was kidnapped, we have been dealing only with actions for his release. During the day I have no fear or terror, but feelings of longing, frustration and helplessness. I keep thinking about what else I can do to get him home. On the other hand, I understand that it's not really in my control. I can only control my thoughts, actions, and reactions. I think about which house Alon will return to. I want him to return to a strong and steadfast home, with action and hope, and also to a country where there is security and unity."
Alon and his friends managed to throw some of the grenades outside. Idit Ahel, Alon's mother, with a declaration for her son's release, photo: Michelle Dot Com
Alon, the eldest son, is a gifted musician and pianist, who grew up in a musical home. His brother Ronen, who until recently did a year of service in Bari, is a guitar player and they used to play and sing together. "In high school he studied music and did five units of classical recital, before he was kidnapped he planned to move to Tel Aviv and study at the Rimon Music School. We always have music at home and you can find Alon at the piano in the living room. In the square of the abductees there is a yellow piano, Alon's piano with the inscription: You are not alone. In protest of the 100 days of captivity. Such a piano will be placed in Berlin, New York and Toronto and will be played by various artists who will call for Alon's release."
See Dad on the motorcycle again
The Rudif family prays that kidnapped father Lior (61) will continue to plow the roads
The children of Lior Rudaf, who was kidnapped with the motorcycle on which they want to see him again, photo: Liron Moldovan
"My father is already signed up for a motorcycle trip to Romania in a few months, and we really hope he will come back to join this trip," says Noam Katz, 37, the eldest daughter of Lior Rudif, who was kidnapped to Gaza on Black Saturday. "Dad Tamed had a dream for a motorcycle. For years Nir Yitzhak was a cooperative kibbutz, so it was complex. As soon as the kibbutz was privatized, he bought himself the motorcycle he dreamed of and joined a riding group. On Saturdays when the grandchildren didn't come to him, he gets on his motorcycle, puts songs by Shlomo Artzi and travels all over the country with his group. He was constantly investing in improvements to the equipment and the motorcycle, it fills him up."
Lior Rudif (61) is a car safety man, but over the years he used to volunteer and was for years Nir Yitzhak's ambulance driver. On October 7, he heard gunshots outside the house, went outside to help, and was kidnapped. "We know my father was injured because he managed to report to the guys on the kibbutz. Contact with him was cut off at a quarter to nine in the morning, and we don't know anything about him since. None of the abductees who returned saw him. I never imagined it would take so long, on Saturday night we found out that Dad couldn't be found. I remember my partner telling me, 'It's going to be long,' and I said, 'Of course.' I thought it would take two or three weeks, we never imagined that we would reach this number of <> days, without a sign of life."
Lior is married to Yaffa and they have four children: Noam, who lives in Hazor, a mother of two who is in advanced pregnancy. His grandchildren are an inseparable part of him and he goes out to the field with them and lets them climb the motorcycle. He has three other sons – Nadav (36), Bar (27) and Ben (24), who lives on the kibbutz and himself survived the party in Re'im after resourcefully extricating himself.
Hope Dad will come to the birth. Noam Katz, daughter of Lior Rudif, with her brother Bar and son, photo: Liron Moldovan
"I wish Dad would come back before the birth, I hope that's part of what keeps him there. He also has a father, 88 years old, who used to live on the kibbutz and was evicted from it. The family is dealing with the impossible situation of the abduction, for more than three months they have not been living at home, but in a hotel, which is difficult. In fact, the hardest part is uncertainty. We feel very wrapped up and the public is very supportive of us, but in the end, people who are not part of the families of the abductees or were evicted from their homes return to their routine, and we don't feel it. The routine is slowly coming back and we can't actually go back to it. Our lives were not only stopped, but destroyed. That's why I ask everyone: Dedicate at least an hour a week to the return of the hostages."
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