In a poignant interview for the "Children of October 7" social media project, 13-year-old Eitan Yahalomi from Nir Oz, shared the harrowing details of his captivity in Gaza. The young survivor, who was released in November as part of a hostage release deal, recounted instances of physical abuse, persistent hunger, and being forced to watch disturbing footage.
Yahalomi was kidnapped from his home during the Oct. 7 attack. His father, who was shot during the abduction, remains in captivity, while his mother and sister managed to escape an attempted kidnapping.
"The Children of October 7"❤️?
Meet Eitan Yahalomi. He is 13 years old and was home with his family on October 7th when they were all kidnapped by terrorists, separately. His mother and sister managed to escape before entering but unfortunately Eitan and his father Ohad were… pic.twitter.com/fNHi5rK54H
— Montana Tucker (@montanatucker) October 9, 2024
"When we arrived in Gaza, I saw many people beating us. We heard gunshots and Arabic shouting. They were waiting for us. They were civilians," Eitan said, describing his initial entry into Gaza.
When asked if he had felt scared, he responded candidly, "A bit, to be honest."
Throughout his captivity, Eitan faced constant hunger. "My daily ration was a pita and a cucumber," he revealed. He also spoke of being subjected to disturbing content. "They showed me videos of them killing people. They seemed happy about it."
When asked about whether he tried to avoid watching, Eitan explained, "No, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, he wouldn't have allowed it. I saw even worse things. These images are constantly in my mind."
As for his ability to sleep at night, Eitan added with stark honesty, "Not much. I've been through the worst, and that's that."
