Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, 29, was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, from his family home in kibbutz Nir Oz, where he had grown up and where he was visiting that Saturday with his girlfriend Sapir Cohen. The terrorists breached the house while the family was sheltering in the safe room, seized control of the property, murdered his father Vitaly, and took the remaining four family members captive.
Sasha was kidnapped alongside his mother Yelena, grandmother Irena, and girlfriend Sapir. While the three women were released after 54 days as part of the first hostage deal, Sasha, the family's only son, remained in Hamas' captivity.
As an only child in a family with virtually no relatives in Israel, when the entire family was taken to Gaza, there was no one left to campaign for their release. In response, Sasha's friends mobilized, leading the fight to secure the return of his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend.
