Ziv Berman

Ziv Berman (Hebrew: זיו ברמן; born 10 September 1997) is an Israeli civilian who was abducted along with his fraternal twin brother, Gali, from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas-led attacks on the morning of 7 October 2023. The brothers were taken into the Gaza Strip and became among the hostages held during the Gaza war. After 738 days in captivity, they were released on 13 October 2025, together with 18 other surviving hostages, as part of the third hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas. The agreement also provided for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages.

Early life Ziv Berman was born on 10 September 1997, to parents Talia and Doron Berman along with his twin brother, Gali, and raised in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Their father has Parkinson's disease that deteriorated significantly during their captivity. They have a younger brother Liran. The brothers lived in adjacent homes in the kibbutz's young-adult neighborhood.

Before their abduction, the brothers worked together as lighting and sound technicians and were known supporters of the football clubs Maccabi Tel Aviv and Liverpool. The twins were described by news outlets as “Maccabi loving,” and after their return they attended their first football match together at Bloomfield Stadium, thanking supporters for their encouragement during captivity.

Abduction

On the morning of 7 October 2023, during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Ziv was in the safe room of his home when militants set the house on fire. Forced to flee, he was captured along with his brother Gali and another resident, Emily Damari and taken to the Gaza Strip. Ten days later, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed the family that the brothers had likely been abducted into Gaza.

Captivity Testimonies from released hostages indicated that the Berman twins were separated during their captivity in Gaza and held in harsh conditions, including limited contact and food shortages. After about six months from their abduction, the twins were reunited and held together for two days before being separated, with reportedly a Hamas member telling them "if something happens to you two, your mother won't have to cry twice." Ziv recounted that after being led into the room and being reunited with Gali, he ran to him, hugged him and began to cry, while their captors filmed the reunion.

Post-release activities

After their release, the Berman twins met with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog. Also, in November 2025, the brothers attended a Maccabi Tel Aviv game, and spoke to attendees prior to the game and thanked them for their support during their captivity. While speaking with reporters in January 2026 at their home in Beit Guvrin, Gali and Ziv both expressed their intent and desire to move forward, with Ziv stating that they had enough of misery for two years.