Israeli Hostage Liri Elbaz Shares Chilling Experience From Hamas Captivity

Liri Elbaz, an Israeli soldier who was held captive by Hamas for 477 days, recently opened up about one of the most chilling experiences she endured during her captivity. Elbaz shared her reflections after visiting a multisensory art installation called 'Mapah Nakum,' created by photographer Ziv Koren and author Noam Horev. The exhibit features a video of the military outpost from which she was abducted on the morning of October 7. She emphasized the importance of remembering and confronting painful memories, writing, "You don’t understand how important this is. I know it’s not always easy to stop and dig in the mud. Sometimes all we want is to move on."

Elbaz highlighted the growing antisemitism worldwide and stressed the critical need for Israelis and Jews to preserve and tell their own story. She stated, "Remembering is not staying in the past! It’s understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we must never stop telling our story." After experiencing the exhibit, she said she was overwhelmed with feelings of pride and love for the Israeli people.

Elbaz served as an observer at the Nahal Oz outpost and was kidnapped along with fellow soldiers Naama Levy, Karina Aryev, Daniela Gilboa, and Agam Berger. During captivity, they endured harsh conditions including constant relocations between apartments and tunnels, severe shortages of food and water, psychological terror, and overcrowding. Elbaz was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal and subsequently underwent physical and mental rehabilitation. She returned to military service in a different role before completing her service in May 2026. In a post on her Instagram account on the day of her release, she confirmed, "Yes, the Pz'am (personal protective equipment) failed in captivity."