Alon Ohel was taken from the Nova festival and sustained multiple injuries, for which he has reportedly not received any treatment
February 10, 2025 12:29
The mother of a hostage held in Gaza has pleaded desperately for the entire nation of Israel to call for the safe return of her son on Monday, the day of his birthday, after receiving the first signs of life of him in a year and a half.
Alon Ohel, who is today turning 24 in Hamas captivity, is being held close to starving and in chains with multiple untreated wounds, according to recently-freed Israelis.
In an interview with Channel 12 Alon’s mother, Idit, said released hostages Eli Sharabi and Or Levy were held with her son for the duration of their confinement.
Sharabi and Levy’s return to Israel on Saturday, as part of a trio exchanged for 183 Palestinian prisoners, was the first time Ohel’s family received confirmation that Alon is still alive since being taken from the Nova music festival 492 days ago.
Idit also shared details of the shocking conditions in which Alon is being held, and the injuries he sustained, as told to her by Sharabi and Levy.
Idit told Channel 12: “He has shrapnel in his eye, he has shrapnel in his shoulder, he has shrapnel in his arm. Alon was bound in chains this entire time, and he had almost no food – at most one pita a day, over a very, very, very long time, more than a year.”
She added that it was not just Alon being subject to miserly rations of food, but everyone who was kept with him, including Levy and Sharabi, both of whom were released visibly malnourished.
“I can’t understand it,” Idit continued, “I don’t think there’s a single mother who could handle her son being hungry, hungry for food, and held in chains for so many days,” she confessed breaking down into tears, “I just got this information”.
According to what she has heard from Sharabi and Levy, her son’s injuries include only being able to see “shadows” out of his wounded eye.
German pianist Igor Levit plays piano in support of Alon (Image: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Alon, a pianist hoping to study jazz in Tel Aviv, was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival aged 22 alongside Or Levy, who was released on Saturday, and Eliya Cohen, who is also still being held in Gaza.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was executed by Hamas alongside five other hostages up to two days before their bodies were recovered by the IDF, was also abducted from the same bomb shelter at the Nova site.
On Monday, Alon’s family will mark his 24th birthday at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and is urging all who can make it to join them.
“Alon will mark his second birthday in captivity tomorrow,” Idit said, “I ask, I demand, I pray – all the artists of Israel, the entire nation of Israel, come be with us, give us strength, give strength to Alon.”
It was also revealed by Idit that one of the released hostages on Saturday delivered a happy birthday message from Alon to his sister, who herself celebrated her birthday on Saturday.
“It was very moving,” Idit said, “and it’s an amazing gift for her to receive. We want the biggest gift of all, which is that Alon will come out.”
Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 73 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.