October 7 · Personal story
Hagar Brodutch
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza
Current outcome
Released alive · November 26, 2023
Released alive after 51 days in captivity
01
Before October 7
Hagar Brodutch lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza with her husband, Avichai, and their children Ofry, Yuval and Oriya. KAN’s family profile describes her work managing the community of Kibbutz Magen. The family’s life included trips abroad and visits to relatives in Canada. Avichai was a member of Kfar Aza’s emergency response team. On the morning of October 7, he saw armed attackers arriving and left to help defend the kibbutz.
02
October 7
Hagar and the children sheltered in their safe room. Their young neighbour Avigail Idan had fled to their home after her parents were murdered. Avichai brought her inside before leaving to fight. Hagar later described attackers entering the house, demanding the car keys and ordering everyone to put on shoes. They drove Hagar, her three children and Avigail to Gaza in the family vehicle. Hagar said the journey exposed the children to burned homes and bodies in the kibbutz. Avichai was wounded during the attack. When he returned and found the house empty, he initially believed his family had been killed; later he learned that they had been abducted.
03
In captivity
Hagar was held with the children in Gaza, moving between apartments. She did not know whether Avichai had survived. In radio testimony reported in January 2024, she described each person receiving one pita with za’atar per day while captors cooked food for themselves. The smell distressed the hungry children. Avichai later said Hagar spent hours telling the children stories about family trips to Australia, Thailand and elsewhere. Memories of those journeys gave them something to talk about during captivity. A family profile published in 2025 recounted Hagar’s testimony about hunger, cold and nights filled with worries about the children, her husband and their community. She said some days had felt unbearable.
04
Return
Hagar, Ofry, Yuval and Oriya were released on November 26, 2023, after 51 days in captivity. Avigail was also released. At Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Hagar and the children reunited with Avichai. Avichai later described collecting their favourite belongings from the damaged home and taking them to the hospital: soft toys, pillows and Hagar’s handbag. The family learned that both parents had survived. The following day, the children were reunited with their dog Rodney at the hospital.
05
After captivity
Hagar spoke publicly after her return, describing captivity and supporting the campaign for other hostages. Her testimony included the uncertainty of not knowing whether her husband was alive and the effort to care for hungry children. In an August 12, 2025 family interview, Avichai said they were living in Kibbutz Shefayim. Ofry and Yuval were attending school, and Oriya kindergarten. He described the children’s smiles alongside distress triggered by some loud sounds. The family marks November 26 each year as the anniversary of their homecoming.