October 7 · Personal story
Yafa Adar
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Current outcome
Released alive · November 24, 2023
Released alive on November 24, 2023, in the first hostage deal after 49 days in captivity.
01
Books, messages and a home in Nir Oz
Yafa Adar was born in 1938 and joined Kibbutz Nir Oz in 1965. Her home was a place for music, good food and family gatherings. She was a mother of three, grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of seven. Her granddaughter Adva described a woman who loved reading and writing, stayed connected with family through WhatsApp messages and Facebook, and preferred the smell of printed books to an e-reader. As walking beyond her home became harder, keeping in touch online became especially important. Adva also called her young-minded, remembered her love of good food and wine, and described her as the glue of their family.
02
Taken from her safe room
On October 7, attackers entered Yafa’s home in Nir Oz and took her from the safe room. Her home was looted and destroyed during the abduction; she was driven toward Gaza on a mobility scooter. At 85, she was filmed en route wrapped in a pink floral blanket. Her granddaughter Adva later described the family’s fear when they could not find Yafa, followed by alarm when video showed her in Gaza.
03
Forty-nine days in Gaza
Yafa was held in Gaza for 49 days. While she remained captive, her granddaughter Adva said Yafa understood what was happening around her and would not panic. Before Yafa’s release, Adva said she feared her grandmother lacked medication for blood pressure and chronic pain.
04
Released on November 24
Yafa was released alive on November 24, 2023, in the first hostage exchange after 49 days. In an interview published on November 27, her granddaughter Adva said she had hugged Yafa again two days earlier and that Yafa’s body and soul were still adjusting. Adva called her tough and said she would understand what had happened as time passed.
05
Starting over, and waiting for Tamir
After the reunion, the family had to tell Yafa that her entire home had been destroyed. Adva said Yafa needed to begin again without her house, memories and photo albums, while relatives stayed close to help her feel safe and recover a sense of security. Adva said Yafa was learning more about what had happened to Nir Oz and putting the pieces together. When Yafa returned, her grandson Tamir was still held in Gaza. She waited and worked for his return; his body came back from Gaza on October 21, 2025.