October 7 · Personal story
Elia Toledano
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Nova music festival near Re’im
Current outcome
Returned for burial · December 14, 2023
His body was returned to Israel on December 14, 2023.
01
Life before
Elia was the fourth of five siblings. His parents were Odile and Moshe; his siblings were Daniel, Batya, Adina and Yitzhak. He was sociable and beloved by classmates, remembered for his constant joy and broad smile. He studied at a Torah elementary school and then a religious high school. After graduation he moved to Tel Aviv to learn the profession he had dreamed about: event production. He built work around celebrations, producing weddings, bar mitzvahs, circumcisions and engagements. He took satisfaction in the work; his family said he loved making people happy. He enjoyed going out, singing and dancing to music of every kind. At family and friends’ gatherings, he sang for the guests. His brother Daniel remembered a deep connection between Elia and their parents that remained strong through the different path Elia chose. Daniel also described him as completely optimistic and someone who tried to reconcile people. His family recalled that he quietly gave to friends, employees and anyone in need.
02
October 7
On October 7, Elia went to the Nova festival near Re’im with his close friend Mia Schem. When the attack began, they rushed to leave in a car. After about twenty minutes on Route 232, near Mefalsim, attackers fired at them from an ambush. Elia and Mia were wounded but managed to contact festival organizers and send their location so help could find them. Their car caught fire, left the road and stopped near the kibbutz fence; contact with both was lost. Elia and Mia were taken to Gaza.
03
Captivity
For about two weeks, Elia’s family did not know what had happened to him; he was first listed as missing and later as a hostage. An IDF investigation published on September 15, 2024 assessed with high probability that an airstrike targeting Hamas commander Ahmed Ghandour on November 10, 2023 caused the deaths of Elia, Nik Beizer and Ron Sherman as a byproduct. The inquiry said the exact circumstances could not be determined definitively.
04
Return
Elia’s body returned to Israel on December 14, 2023. His family and friends gathered the next day and buried him in Elad.
05
Aftermath
At the funeral, Elia’s aunt Viviane described how the family had moved between hope and despair in the days before they could say goodbye. His childhood friend Michael remembered the smile that was always there for everyone. His brother Daniel remembered his joy, friendship and generosity, and told KAN that Elia always tried to reconcile people.