October 7 · Personal story
Ofer Kalderon
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Kibbutz Nir Oz, after escaping his family home
Current outcome
Released alive · February 1, 2025
Released during the first phase of the January 2025 ceasefire exchange after 484 days in captivity; reunited with his four children.
01
Before October 7
Ofer Kalderon was a French-Israeli resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz and a father of four. He worked as a carpenter and was known to family as a devoted, hands-on parent. Outside work and family time, he enjoyed cycling, hiking and flying model airplanes, according to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum. On October 7, 2023, two of his children, Sahar and Erez, were with him at the family home; his other children were elsewhere.
02
October 7
When the attackers reached Nir Oz, Ofer was in the safe room with Sahar and Erez. They escaped through a window and hid behind a bush before being found and captured. In his first interview after release, he described being beaten and dragged away while Erez watched, and seeing Sahar carried off separately. He initially believed his family had been killed. Sahar and Erez were released in November 2023, while he remained in Gaza.
03
Captivity
Ofer recalled spending only about three hours above ground throughout captivity. After three weeks, Rimon Kirsht told him Sahar was alive. He begged to see her and met her before they were moved underground together. He learned Erez was alive in a hospital above ground and sent him a message. Only two weeks before his own release did he learn that his older son Rotem had survived. After Sahar and Erez were released, he was held with Yarden Bibas and met Yahya Sinwar, who told him to wait another month. He later described narrow tunnels, explosions, salty water and severely limited food.
04
Return
On February 1, 2025, Ofer was released in the first phase of the ceasefire exchange after 484 days in captivity. His return reunited him with all four children. Sahar and Erez, who had been taken with him, had been released in November 2023. The family met again on Israeli soil, ending a separation that had begun when they were abducted from Nir Oz.
05
Life since return
In his first interview after returning, broadcast on July 4, 2025, Ofer described the long separation from his children and the fear that members of his family had died. Cycling had remained in his thoughts during captivity, a reminder of freedom. His cycling group and the Lehosheet Yad charity launched a fundraiser for his and his family’s rehabilitation. At his release in February, his family had spoken about the difficult recovery ahead and their determination to support him together.