Tragic Turn of Events: Teenage Siblings' Release From Hamas Captivity Marred by Mother's Murder
Teenage siblings Noam and Alma Or were held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 50 days Their relentless hope of reuniting with their mother, separated from them during brutal attacks on their community, fueled their resilience
During the 50 days that Noam and Alma Or were held captive in Gaza, their sole motivation was to be reunited with their mother, from whom they had been separated during Hamas brutal attacks on their community on October 7.
Unfortunately, upon their release on Saturday, 17-year-old Noam and 13-year-old Alma learned that their mother had been murdered, shattering their long-awaited dream of reuniting with her, as confirmed by their maternal uncle Ahal Besorai.
Speaking to CNN from the Philippines, Besorai revealed that on October 7, the mother of the children was tragically murdered. When the children were reunited with their grandmother and older brother after being kidnapped and taken across the border, they learned for the first time that their mother was no longer alive. This was an extremely emotional and traumatic moment for them.
The siblings father Dror remains missing, believed captive in Gaza.
Emily Hand, 8, was killed during Hamas' attack in Be'eri on Saturday.
Courtesy Tom Hand
The tight-knit Beeri kibbutz, a farming community with around 1,100 residents near the Gaza border, had been the family's home. However, on October 7, this idyllic kibbutz was transformed into a site of devastation and bloodshed as it became the main target for Hamas militants who crossed the border and besieged nearby communities.
More than 120 residents of Beeri were murdered by militants, including children, and others were kidnapped. Homes were set on fire, looted, and destroyed by Hamas militants. In total, around 1,200 people were killed by the group across southern Israel. Noam and Alma were separated from their parents and taken by Hamas during this chaotic and terrifying time. While in Gaza, they were taken to a house and kept in a room with another woman from their kibbutz, according to Besorai, who also grew up in Beeri.
He chose not to go into specifics about the hardships the siblings endured, to avoid further burdening families with loved ones still held captive. However, he did express that the experience was extremely difficult and horrifying.
Hamas reportedly held over 200 hostages in Gaza before the negotiated releases with Israel. Following the groundbreaking truce agreement, groups of Israeli citizens and other nationals have been liberated each day since last Friday. In return, Israel has released Palestinian women and children detainees from its prisons, many of whom were never charged or sentenced.
The original four-day ceasefire was lengthened by two more days on Monday, revealing the first glimpses into the lives of the freed hostages from their families. According to Besorai, Noam, Alma, and another woman in their room shared a diary, but the siblings were not permitted to take it with them upon their release. In fact, they were unaware that they were being released at all, as Hamas took steps to keep this information from the third hostage.
On Sunday, November 26, 2023, a helicopter carrying hostages released from the Gaza Strip landed at the helipad of the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel. A group of Israelis watched as the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track, with the militants freeing 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners in a third set of releases under a four-day truce. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Leo Correa/AP
Israeli women and children have been freed by Hamas. But families of other hostages are in limbo
The militants lured the siblings out of the room under the guise of needing to use the toilet, but then proceeded to handcuff and blindfold them before taking them to a car that transported them to the location where they were handed over to the Red Cross," Besorai explained. "They attempted to conceal this from the woman who stayed behind, which may have placed some psychological pressure on her."
Despite the trauma experienced by the siblings, Noam - whom Besorai praised as a "kind-hearted person" - expressed empathy for those suffering in crisis-ridden Gaza, where more than 14,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, according to data from health authorities in the area run by Hamas.
As they walked from the Hamas vehicle to the Red Cross, holding hands, Noam expressed his sorrow to his sister Alma about being surrounded by Gazan civilians. "I feel so sorry for them because they are staying here, and we are going home," he told her, according to Besorai.
Now that the siblings are free, the family is focusing on their recovery. They lost weight over the past two months but are otherwise "sort of okay," said Besorai. However, he worries about the toll that captivity has taken on them and the lingering trauma.
The first time I spoke to Alma, she had an enormous smile and glittering eyes when she came to the Zoom call," he said. "What stuck in my head was: What is behind these glittering eyes? What is deep inside them following this horrible ordeal? It is just very difficult for me to assess."
