For freed Israeli hostages, every moment is now precious
TEL AVIV, Oct 5 - Taken with their children or alone.
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moment → free → children
Confined in captors' homes or Hamas tunnels as war raged above them.
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war → confine → them
Israeli former hostages seized on October 7 say they now cherish even the smallest moments of freedom.
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they → seize → freedom
The militants rampaged through villages, a music festival and army bases, killing 1,200 people and dragging 251 hostages back to Gaza.
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militants → rampage → Gaza
They included civilians, soldiers, men, women, children and elderly people, Israelis and foreign nationals.
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They → include → civilians
Most were freed in return for Palestinian prisoners during ceasefires between Israel and Hamas, but dozens did not survive.
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dozens → free → Israel
"Freedom has completely changed the way I see life," said Emily Damari, 30, who was abducted wounded from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and released in January 2025.
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who → change → January
Her ordeal taught her not to take anything for granted, she said.
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she → teach → anything
"One day in captivity feels like one week.
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day → feel → week
You want to give up at every moment, but I did not," said Damari, who has recently married and launched a clothing line in Israel.
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who → want → Israel
"Today, I open the fridge and I say thank you.
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I → open → you
I drink cold water and I say thank you.
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I → drink → you
Gratitude has become central to who I am," said Damari.
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Damari → become → ?
"Being free, at home, surrounded by my family and my people is something I will never take for granted again.
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I → surround → family
"
"I CHOOSE LIFE"
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I → choose → LIFE
Eli Sharabi, 54, was seized from nearby Kibbutz Be'eri.
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Sharabi → seize → Be'eri
His British-born wife Lianne and their two daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were slain by the attackers.
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wife → bear → attackers
His brother Yossi was taken hostage and killed in Gaza.
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brother → take → Gaza
In February 2025, Sharabi was released, appearing emaciated and skeletally thin, from 491 days of captivity which he says included being held in a tunnel, hungry, shackled and beaten.
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he → release → tunnel
"I learned in captivity how precious every moment and every choice can be, and I carry that understanding with me now.
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I → learn → me
I choose to look ahead, to keep going and to use the life I have in a meaningful way," said Sharabi.
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Sharabi → choose → way
Since his release he has helped establish the Shalva Sharabi Family Centre in the southern city of Ashkelon with the disability charity Shalva, to treat families coping with trauma and disabilities, in commemoration of his own family lost.
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he → help → family
"I choose life.
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I → choose → life
I choose to keep living fully, while carrying Lianne, Noiya, Yahel and Yossi with me in everything I do."
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I → choose → everything
His wife and daughters believed deeply in caring for others, he said.
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he → believe → others
"Their kindness and care for others will continue.
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kindness → continue → others
Families will walk through these doors and receive help, care and hope in a place that carries their name.
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that → walk → name
That gives me strength and makes me very proud," said Sharabi.
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Sharabi → give → strength
SLOWLY BUILDING A FUTURE
Hagar Brodutch was seized from Kfar Aza with her three children and her neighbours' daughter who fled to their house after her parents were killed.
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parents → build → house
They were freed in a brief truce in November 2023.
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They → free → November
Life after captivity, she said, can be far more complicated than sometimes portrayed.
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she → say → captivity
I believe it will take many more years before captivity becomes just a shadow that walks alongside us, rather than something that defines who we are," said Brodutch.
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Brodutch → believe → us
Recently, Brodutch, 43, has begun taking classes in pastry baking, for which she has long had a passion.
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she → begin → passion
"This is about much more than learning how to bake.
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This → learn → more
It is about finding a new path, creating something with my own hands, and slowly building a future," she said.
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she → find → future
"During my time in Hamas captivity, I began to understand that if I were released, returning to my previous life and working in management might no longer be possible," said Brodutch.
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Brodutch → begin → management
"I chose pastry as a form of therapy, but also as a way to create something new for myself, with the hope that one day it could become my profession," she said.
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she → choose → hope
Kfar Aza was one of the hardest-hit communities in Hamas' attack.
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Aza → hit → attack
Aviva Siegel, 65, was kidnapped with her husband Keith.
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Siegel → kidnap → husband
She was released in November 2023, but Keith was held until February 2025.
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Keith → release → February
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
