October 7 · Personal story
Inbar Haiman
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Nova music festival near Re’im
Current outcome
Returned for burial · October 15, 2025
Inbar Haiman’s remains were returned to Israel on October 15, 2025, identified the next day, and buried in Petah Tikva on October 17.
01
Life before
Inbar grew up in Petah Tikva and studied film in high school. She joined the city’s arts and culture youth center first as a participant, then as a counselor. After a year of national service, she served three years as a commander in the Caracal infantry battalion. She later studied visual communication at the University of Haifa’s School of Design, where she met her partner, Noam. She made and upcycled gifts for people she loved, supported Maccabi Haifa, and played Dungeons and Dragons and board games with friends.
02
Abduction
Inbar attended the Nova gathering to help people who felt unwell; she also brought artwork to sell. When the attack began, she tried to leave by car, then returned toward the festival area and hid. Witnesses described her running with two other people before armed men seized her and took her away on a motorcycle.
03
Captivity
In December 2023, Israeli authorities determined that Inbar had been killed on October 7 and her body had been taken to Gaza. Her parents recognized her in footage by her distinctive patterned tights. The announcement came two months after the family first learned that she had been abducted.
04
Return
Her remains were returned to Israel on October 15, 2025. Forensic identification was announced on October 16, and Inbar was buried in Petah Tikva the following day. Her family could finally bring her home for burial, more than two years after her death.
05
Aftermath
Inbar’s father remembered their Saturday hikes and bike rides through orchards near home. Her mother said they talked openly and shared confidences. Family and friends remembered the artist who signed her graffiti “Pink,” made and repurposed objects for people she loved, and brought her work to the festival.