Luis Har
Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak
Louis was rescued from captivity in Gaza after 129 days in a daring military operation by the IDF.
“This day is over. It means we have one less day in captivity.”
“On the morning of October 7th, I was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak to Gaza by Hamas terrorists along with my
partner, Clara Marman, her brother Fernando, her sister Gabriela, and Gabriela’s daughter, Mia. Luckily, Clara, Gabriela, and Mia were released from captivity after 52 days as part of a temporary ceasefire deal while I and Fernando were set free only 76 days later in a daring military operation.
In captivity, we were treated like dogs, not like human beings.
I was scraped from my humanity and was reduced to a pawn. I had no control whatsoever over my life.
Basic decisions that every free human being is capable of taking weren’t in my hands. I needed to ask permission for every single thing I wanted to do. You are constantly under surveillance and you don’t have any privacy at all.
I was sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor, surviving on scraps of food, and going to sleep most of the time feeling hungry. It was a hard struggle but the hardest thing for me was the constant psychological warfare I suffered from my captors. They told me that my Kibbutz, Nir Yitzhak, no longer existed and that I had nowhere to return. They told me that I wouldn’t even think of escaping because if I did, I would be caught, and would be beaten to death.
They told us not to speak loudly because if our location was to be found Israel would bomb us because the Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, didn’t want any deal and he preferred we would all be dead.
They were repeating it like a mantra and eventually… it gets into your head.
After 52 days, Clara, Gabriella, and Mia were released from captivity as part of a temporary ceasefire deal. Fernando and I weren’t a part of that deal and were left in captivity. It was hard to say goodbye to all of my loved ones but I was happy for them. Later on, the depression came as I realized I wouldn’t be exchanged in a future deal but luckily it lasted only a day.
After spending so much time in captivity your mind plays tricks on you. I remembered that after 120 days in captivity,
I had a dream that I was saved by the IDF. Nine days later that miracle came true.
On the morning of February 12th at 2:00 am, I was woken by a huge blast that threw me from my bad.
Within seconds, the ‘Yamam’ – the National Counter-Terrorism Unit stormed the room and I heard someone speaking to me in Hebrew: ‘Luis, we came to take you home.’
I spent 129 long days in captivity.
As we speak, today. (25th of June) the rest of the living hostages are marking 260 days in captivity.
It’s unbelievable that they are still being held captive.
As someone who spent 129 days in captivity, I know exactly what they are going through and it it breaks my heart.
We must do everything we can to set them free and bring them back home safe and sound.
They don’t have any time left.
As for me,
I have no anger in my heart.
I’m not angry with the Israeli Government, the IDF who failed to protect us, or the Hamas terrorists who kidnapped me and my family to Gaza. If I will let anger take control it will consume me and I won’t be the Luis I know.
Enjoy every second of freedom you have, embrace your loved ones, and try to make this world a better place for all.”