Amith Sosna Reflects on Kidnapping Trauma and Recovery Journey in New Book

Amith Sosna, who was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Gaza on October 7 and held captive by Hamas for 55 days, shares her profound journey of trauma and recovery in a newly released book. Despite enduring physical and emotional abuse during captivity, Sosna says she would choose to go through the ordeal again because it shaped her into who she is today. "I love who I am today," she told an interviewer during a meeting in Herzliya, Israel.

Sosna describes the hardest part of captivity as the loss of basic freedoms and the torment of being so close to home yet trapped in darkness. Since her release, she has been undergoing a complex rehabilitation process, gradually regaining trust in herself and others, and rebuilding her energy and focus. She emphasizes that recovery is ongoing and not about returning to her pre-captivity self but about creating a new, meaningful life.

Half a year after a challenging trek in Nepal’s Annapurna range, which she undertook as part of her healing, Sosna reflects on the experience as a milestone that helped her regain a sense of capability and normalcy. She also discusses the difficulty of balancing personal recovery with public advocacy for other hostages still held captive.

The book, co-written with a collaborator she met during the Nepal trek, documents her kidnapping, captivity, and recovery. Sosna hopes it will foster empathy and understanding among readers, especially youth, trauma survivors, and those supporting them. She also supports translating the book into Arabic to reach a wider audience and promote a human perspective beyond politics.

Sosna’s story highlights resilience amid ongoing national trauma, as the war and hostage crisis continue. She stresses the importance of remembering the humanity behind the headlines and the daily struggle of living with pain while striving for hope and strength.