October 7 · Personal story
Eitan Yahalomi
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
His family home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Current outcome
Released alive · November 27, 2023
Released alive after 52 days in captivity.
01
Life before October 7
Eitan Yahalomi was 12 and lived with his parents and two younger sisters in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Shani Goren, who worked in the kibbutz children’s home, had been his counselor for years. They knew each other through the close community around the children’s home. Their connection became important during captivity, when Eitan recognized Shani after being brought to the group of Nir Oz hostages. At home, she had been one of the familiar adults in his life.
02
Taken from Nir Oz
On October 7, attackers broke into the Yahalomi home and wounded Eitan’s father, Ohad. His mother Bat-Sheva and sister Yael were put on one motorcycle; Eitan and the baby were initially placed on another. Before departure, the crying baby was transferred to Bat-Sheva. Near Gaza, the motorcycle carrying Bat-Sheva and both girls crashed. They escaped and eventually reached safety, while Eitan’s motorcycle continued into Gaza. Ohad was abducted separately. The attack divided a family whose members had been sheltering together that morning.
03
Days in captivity
Eitan was held in Gaza for 52 days. His mother later told AFP that he was beaten and kept alone in a barred room for the first 16 days. He was then moved to a group of hostages from Nir Oz and recognized his former counselor, Shani Goren. Shani shared food with him and helped him through captivity. Bat-Sheva said Eitan was forced to watch videos of the October 7 attacks and threatened when he cried. These details come from family accounts after his release.
04
Return home
Eitan was released alive on November 27, 2023, after 52 days in captivity. He reunited with his mother at the hospital in Tel Aviv. News photographs recorded the family reunion, while his release also brought the first account that he had spent 16 days alone before meeting other Nir Oz hostages. He was 12 when he came home. His return ended his own captivity; his father Ohad remained in Gaza at that time.
05
Life after return
In her March 2024 interview with AFP, Bat-Sheva said Eitan had celebrated his bar mitzvah the previous week, four months after his release. At that time, she described nightmares and difficulty returning to ordinary life. Ohad’s fate remained unknown to the family then. His body was returned to Israel on February 27, 2025, and he was subsequently buried in Nir Oz. After his return, the family learned that he had been murdered in captivity after the abduction.