Omri’s sister and her three kids are hostages in Gaza: ‘Hope is the last thing that dies’

On October 7, early in the morning, Omri Almog began receiving messages from his niece, 25-year-old Yam, who was hiding in a safe room in the family’s house in Kibbutz Kfar Azza. 

Yam, her three siblings – Agam, Gal and Tal – and her parents, Chen and Nadav, were attacked by Hamas terrorists who stormed their home.

Omri recalled in an interview with Jewish News how he lost contact with Yam around noon. What happened next was one of thousands of atrocities committed by Hamas that day.

But it would take about five days until Omri found out what had happened to the family.

“The Israeli authorities confirmed that Nadav and Yam had been killed by Hamas. They found their bodies in the home. Nadav in the safe room and Yam next to the backdoor of the house,” Omri said, explaining how Nadav was recovering from a serious traffic accident, and could barely walk at the time of the attack.

It took nine days before Omri and his family found out what happened to his sister Chen and her remaining three kids, 17-year-old Agam, 11-year-old Gal and 9-year-old Tal.

“After nine days they were categorised as kidnapped. It took a long time because 3,200 people were missing in the beginning,” Omri said.

Omri is among hundreds of Israeli families who are working day and night to get their loved ones released from Gaza, holding meetings with the government as well as President Isaac Herzog.

“There is a huge disbelief in the government, especially those living in the Gaza border communities. The first thing they need to do is bring our people back. Israel will be a different state if they don’t bring them back. It took time, but the government understands now that this is the top priority,” Omri said.

About a week after the October 7 massacre, Omri returned to Kfar Azza to see the aftermath.

“I went in to my parents’ house to get some clothes for them. They can’t go back there, because it’s a war zone. I also saw my sister’s house. I was shocked, but the main feeling I was left with was shame. It’s beyond belief that you put your kids to sleep and the next morning someone takes them and you have no idea where they are. It’s a war crime. We cannot live on the same planet as Hamas. Even if we talk to them about a hostage deal, they are doing everything to hurt us,” he said.

Omri also believes that his and the thousands of other stories need to be told to leaders abroad, to keep reminding them what Israel is currently fighting for.

“It’s different if we speak to them in person and show them the pictures. We need to do everything we can to bring them back. Of course I am worried what will happen now the army is in Gaza but I need to trust the IDF. I have no choice, I have nobody else to trust. Now is not the time to point fingers and put blame,” he said.

Omri said he left his home and three kids with his wife in northern Israel to take care of his parents, who are now homeless.

“My parents lost everything. They have no home to go back to. So I am now doing everything I can to support them,” he said.

Omri’s parents, who also live in Kfar Azza, were abroad on a trip along with 30 other elderly from the kibbutz that morning, and were by chance saved from the atrocities. A total of 62 people from the kibbutz were murdered and 18 people were taken as hostages by Hamas in to Gaza on October 7.