Yosef Ohana

Early life Yosef Chaim Ohana was born to Avi and Miri Ohana. He was raised in Kiryat Malachi, where he attended the Nachlat Har Chabad Talmud Torah. Prior to his abduction, Ohana served as a commander in the Givati Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.

Kidnapping On October 6 and 7, 2023, Ohana was working as a bartender at the Nova music festival near Re'im. Following the onset of the October 7 massacre, orchestrated by Palestinian militant factions led by Hamas, Ohana, then 23 years old, was seen assisting in the evacuation of wounded individuals to medical personnel and ambulances. He was subsequently abducted and taken into the Gaza Strip. For several weeks following the attack, his status remained officially classified as "missing" until his family received confirmation of his abduction. This military history remained classified and was hidden from both his captors and the general public until after his return to Israel.

Ohana achieved fluency in Arabic during his two years in imprisonment.

Despite these efforts, Ohana reported being subjected to torture, deliberate starvation, and physical and psychological abuse. According to Ohana, he was held for extended periods in lightless tunnels and subjected to "lotteries," in which captors forced hostages to choose which among them would be injured or killed. In interviews with Israeli Channel 12 following his release, Ohana said he was traumatized by his time in captivity, including the terror induced by the sudden appearance of flashlights, an experience hostages referred to as “the lamps are coming”, and said he has by affected psychologically by the toll of living in constant darkness.

Efforts to release The campaign to secure Ohana's freedom, alongside the remaining hostages, spanned two years of intensive diplomatic negotiations coordinated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, ultimately culminating in a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in late 2025.

To protect his safety, specific details regarding his background as a military commander were strictly suppressed by the Israel Defense Forces and the Prime Minister’s Office Hostages and Missing Authority. This strategic classification was maintained to prevent his captors from increasing his "value" as a bargaining chip or subjecting him to retaliatory treatment. In the footage, Ohana was seen pleading for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Release Ohana was released on October 13, 2025, a date coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Hoshana Rabbah. He was among the final 20 living hostages returned as part of a phase-one agreement to end the war.

Post-release activities Upon his arrival in Israel, he was treated at Sheba Medical Center for severe nutritional deficiencies and the physical toll of prolonged isolation.

Upon leaving the hospital, Ohana entered a six-week rehabilitation program at the Kfar Hamaccabiah complex in Ramat Gan. On November 30, 2025, he made his final return to his hometown of Kiryat Malachi, where he was greeted by thousands of residents in a public celebration featuring shofar blasts and Israeli flags.

Since his release, Ohana has provided testimony regarding the psychological and physical conditions of his captivity. He has also become a vocal advocate for the return of the remains of those still held in Gaza, specifically mentioning Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili. Describing the transition to freedom as a gradual internal shift, Ohana stated, "The release isn't complete, it's still happening... I need to learn to be free".