Israel has confirmed the identities of the 10 hostages that were released Tuesday evening, after 52 days of being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The group is made up of mainly elderly hostages and certain family members.
An additional two Thai citizens were released by Hamas on Tuesday.
Ditza HeimanDitza Heiman, 81, lived alone on Kibbutz Nir Oz and was famous for her “grandma’s soup.” As she locked herself in the safe room during the Hamas attacks on October 7, she spoke with family members as they as they checked up on the mother of four, stepmother of three, grandmother to 20 and great-grandmother of five.
The last time contact was made with Heiman was around 10 a.m., when, at 4 p.m., someone answered her phone and began speaking in Arabic.
Tamar Metzger
Ofir, the Metzger’s grandson, said after the attacks that he was in touch with his grandfather via WhatsApp and that Yorem appeared to suggest everything was ok until contact was cut.
A week later, the family was told that phone tracking proved that Yoram and Tamar were in Gaza. When Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Yitzhak, also members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, were released from Hamas captivity on 26 October, Yocheved let the family know that she had seen Yoram and Tamar alive in Gaza.
Noralin Babadilla Agojo
Noralin Babadilla Agojo, 60, and her partner, Gidon Babani, were visiting friends in Kibbutz Nirim to celebrate its 70th anniversary when Hamas attacked. Gidon was tragically killed and Noralin was kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza.
Exo, her brother, recalled later her last words to him before contact was cut: “We just wanted to celebrate. I’m shaking; maybe I won’t come home.”
Ada Sagi
Ada Sagi, 75, is a mother of three and described as a kind, peace-loving person. Born in Tel Aviv in 1948, the daughter of Holocaust survivors from Poland, Ada learned Arabic in order to make friends with her neighbors close to Kibbutz Nir Oz and later taught the language to others as a way to improve communication with the Palestinians who live on the Israel-Gaza border.
Her son Noam stated he last heard from his mother at 9:20 a.m. on October, when his mother called to say she could hear voices speaking in Arabic outside her home, after which she entered the safe room.
Ada suffers from asthma and other significant allergies and it is assumed she has had not had access to an EpiPen during her time in captivity.
Ada Sagi was preparing to travel to London to celebrate her birthday.
Merav Tal
Yair Yaakov, 59, and his girlfriend, Merav Tal, 53, were taken captive from their Kibbutz Nir Oz home during the Hamas attacks on October 7.
Yair’s two sons, Or and Yagil, 16 and 12, were not with the couple but were at their mother’s house, also on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Merav sent a voice message at 9:20 a.m. that Hamas terrorists had entered their home and that Yair was trying to secure the door to the safe room to fend off the terrorists. That was the last time they were heard from.
Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav
Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, 36, who worked in alternative medicine, and her husband, Yagev Buchshtav, 34, were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7..
The couple met in high school and married in 2021. They were hiding in the safe room of their home when Rimon messaged her family saying she saw fire and terrorists shooting outside “everywhere.” She sent her parents, who were also sheltering in nearby community, a voice message saying, ” “I love you, Mom. I’m so sorry I can’t be there with you. I love you.”
Rimon was later seen looking gaunt and without her glasses in a video of hostages released by Hamas.
Ofelia Roitman
Argentine olah, Ofelia Roitman, 77, has been held in captivity since Hamas captured her from her home on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Ofelia has lived for the last 38 years.
Early in the morning of October 7, as Hamas terrorists reached the Kibbutz, Ofelia contacted her family and told them what was happening at the kibbutz.
At 9:37 a.m., the family received their last text message from her: “Please send help, the Palestinians are here,” she wrote.
Marman-Leimberg family
Argentina-born Clara Marman, 62, and her partner Louis Har were hiding in their home’s safe room on October 7, together with Marman’s siblings Fernando Marman and Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and Gabriela’s daughter, Mia Leimberg, 17, attempting to keep the door to the safe room locked. They were captured and taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
القسام يسلم أسيرة و معها كلبها .#غزة pic.twitter.com/39EunIAJXt
— ahmad.ibraa (@ahmadibraa47) November 28, 2023
Clara was a retired kindergarten teacher.
Gabriela Leimberg is the director of Eyal’s Farm, an ecological ranch for autistic adults at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem.
Gabriela and Mia were down South visiting their family on the kibbutz for the Simchat Torah festival.