Hostage Survivors Detail Life After Captivity, Three Years On

Three years after the October 7th attacks, former hostages Avital Dekel Chen and Lishi Miran Levi are speaking out about the profound challenges of readjusting to life after their release. In a special episode of "Ad HaKatzè," hosted by Keren Neubach, the two women shared their experiences of the difficult transition back home, emphasizing that for them, the ordeal is far from over.

Avital Dekel Chen, who survived the massacre in her home in Nir Oz while pregnant and with her two daughters, learned that her husband, Sagi, had been abducted to Gaza that same day. Lishi Miran Levi was held captive with her two daughters in the Idan family home in Nahal Oz, witnessing terrorists abduct her husband, Omri. Both women now feel it is important for the public to understand that their stories are just beginning anew.

They discussed the struggle to return to routine after the initial euphoria faded, the complexities of children reconnecting with fathers they hadn't seen, the disruption of careers, and the persistent, haunting images from their captivity. The women also spoke about the difficulty of re-acclimating to the presence of loved ones they had desperately waited to return, highlighting the gap between public perception and the private reality of life after trauma.

This marks the first time they have been able to openly discuss these deeply personal and ongoing struggles, revealing the emotional and psychological toll that continues long after the cameras have gone.