Reunited after 477 days: The stories of the four freed Israeli soldiers

Liri calmed everyone amid chaos; Naama kept her courage despite injured leg; Daniella asked her mom to pray for her; Karina urged her sister to stay strong for their parents; these are the stories of the 4 IDF lookouts who returned home from Hamas captivity

Yael Ciechanover|
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On Saturday, IDF lookouts Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.
However, Agam Berger, who was abducted with them, and Arbel Yehoud, who was supposed to be released in Saturday's exchnage, remain in captivity. Israel informed the mediators this constitutes a violation of the agreement, but ultimately decided to accept the list provided by Hamas.
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All 4 lookouts back in IDF hands
(Video: IDF)
Seven IDF lookouts were abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost, becoming symbols of the atrocities of October 7. Ori Magidish was rescued by Israeli forces shortly after, while Noa Marciano was murdered in captivity, and her body was returned to Israel.
Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Agam Berger, Karina Ariev and Daniella Gilboa endured 15 months in Hamas captivity, during which their families waged a relentless battle for their return. The sister of Shai Ashram, one of the lookouts who fell in Nahal Oz, shared a photo of her sister alongside Roni Eshel, Aviv Hajaj and Gilboa, who returned on Saturday.

A mother's protest

The mothers of the IDF lookouts have been particularly active in the Mothers' Protest – known as Watch 101. They gather at government buildings, dressed in white, silently demanding the return of their daughters and all the hostages.
At a recent vigil, Naama's mother, Ayelet Levy-Shahar, said: “The girls are out there in the rain and cold. Without coats, without their freedom and without their mothers. My heart can’t dwell on it for more than a few seconds – it’s unbearable. The entire nation owes these hostages their rescue.”
Eli Albag, Liri’s father, shared Saturday morning: “They’re standing on their feet, smiling – they’re heroes. It’s about time. We’re all so excited and want to hug her. She’s waiting for her ‘Abush’ – that’s what she calls me. I’ll tell her, ‘My sweetheart, my treasure.’ She’s okay. It’s important to remember, in this moment of joy, that there are families still worried, and our hearts are with them. We will never forget the families of the fallen, whose sacrifice brought us to this moment. And there are still 90 hostages who need to come home now.”

Liri Albag

Liri arrived at the base on Wednesday after completing the IDF lookouts course. “We call her ‘Sara Davara’ because she’s always wandering around and exploring,” her sisters said in their first interview after her abduction. “She has so many friends, and everything about her is calm and positive. ‘Don’t get upset, the world is beautiful,’ that’s what she always tells us.”
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החטופות משתחררות בפעימה השנייה
החטופות משתחררות בפעימה השנייה
(Photo: AP)
When the attack began, Liri called her mother, Shira: “She said, ‘Mom, there’s a crazy rocket attack here. We jumped out of bed; there wasn’t even a siren.’ I asked if she was okay, and she replied, ‘Everything is fine, people are alive here. We’re in the shelter.’ She even sent me a picture, and I saw that the shelter was open on both sides. I told her it wasn’t a proper shelter, and Liri replied, ‘Mom, everything’s fine. Everyone is here, all the girls. Don’t worry.’ Later, I learned that most of the girls were saying their goodbyes to their families. She didn’t say goodbye; she reassured everyone that everything was fine.”
Liri also sent a selfie to her boyfriend, Nir, who had been severely injured in a car-ramming attack six months earlier during his military service. Liri stayed by his bedside and even got a tattoo of the word "FAITH" to symbolize her belief in his recovery.
After her abduction, her family also got the same tattoo. Nir managed to speak with her at 7:50 a.m., but by 8:10 a.m., she no longer responded. “I was terrified,” he said. “A few hours later, a friend sent me a video showing several girls in a military vehicle. One of them was badly injured and wearing a blue sweatshirt just like Liri’s. I completely broke down.”

Naama Levy

Naama’s family learned about her abduction from a Telegram video, which has become a symbol of October 7. Before enlisting, she attended the preparatory program at Be’er Ora, and she arrived at Nahal Oz just days after completing the IDF lookouts course.
Her mother, Ayelet Levy-Shahar, recalled: “I had a heavy feeling the day Naama enlisted. Naama, in contrast, felt very positive. She didn’t experience any shock and looked so sweet in her uniform. She even told me on her way to the base to schedule her an appointment to get her uniforms tailored for her first time home, and that it had to be ready that same day. It was very important to her that everything be tidy and organized.”
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Moments of their abduction

The family, along with the rest of the world, later saw footage of Naama being led to Gaza in blood-stained pajamas, limping toward the vehicle that would take her to captivity. Her friends launched a project called Dressing Like Naama, and presented the initiative in the Knesset, wearing clothes identical to those she wore on the day of her abduction. The family of Naama, an athlete, participated in sports events to raise awareness about her captivity.
Months ago, the family released a photo of Naama from her early days in captivity. “She has a black eye and looks terrified,” her brother Amit said. “You can still see her courage and kindness, which perhaps gave strength to others around her. But there’s a limit to what a person can endure – her time is running out.”

Daniella Gilboa

Unlike Liri and Naama, Daniella and Karina had already been serving at the base for some time when they were abducted. In fact, during their captivity, their official discharge dates from the IDF passed. Daniella, who was abducted under the name Danielle, is referred to as Dana by her friends. She plays piano, sings and writes. Shortly before her abduction, her family moved into a new home designed around a grand piano purchased for her, which she barely had a chance to play.
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חברות של נעמה לוי בהפגנה למען החזרתה
חברות של נעמה לוי בהפגנה למען החזרתה
Naama's friends dressing like her on the day of the abduction
(Photo: Paulina Fatimer)
On the morning of the attack, Daniella texted her mother, Orly, saying she could hear explosions and gunfire. “I thought it was trivial since she’s near Gaza,” Orly said. “I didn’t understand the magnitude of the event. I asked if she was in a shelter, and she replied with an emoji. Basically, she was telling me, ‘Mom, stop asking silly questions.’ Later, she texted, ‘Mom, pray for us,’ and that’s when it hit me. I tried calling her, but her phone could no longer be reached.”
On the 107th day of her captivity, Hamas released a video of her and Karina along with now-liberated hostage Doron Steinbrecher. "She seemed strong and assertive, but psychological diagnosis said she's in a rough mental state," Orly said.

Karina Ariev

Karina spoke with her parents twice on the morning of the attack before sending them a farewell message. She also texted her sister Sasha: “If I don’t survive, take care of Mom and Dad your entire life. Don’t sink into despair—live.”
On the 54th day of the war, her sister Sasha shared: “Karina always used to joke with me that since I’m older, I’ll die before her. I’m begging you to make sure of it. Make sure I die before her. I saw a video of her injured, and since then, I know nothing. Fifty-four days—has anyone treated her?”
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She turned to women’s organizations and asked: “Why are you silent? If something like this happened to you, to your sister, to your mother, to your daughters, you wouldn’t stay quiet. You must be the voice for the women who need you. Where is our sisterhood? Where is our humanity?”
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נעמה לוי, חטופה
נעמה לוי, חטופה
Naama Levy moments after being dragged into Gaza by Hamas
On Karina’s bed at her home in Jerusalem, birthday gifts from her best friend are still waiting for her. Her friend had ordered them from abroad for Karina’s birthday in August, but they were delayed and only arrived in October. While Karina was still at the base, her friend came to her room, arranged the gifts on her bed and left a note saying she loved her and couldn’t wait for her to come home and see the surprise. Karina never got the chance to see it.
Next to those gifts are others brought by her sister from all the places she visited around the world as part of delegations advocating for the hostages. “Everywhere I went, I bought something I thought she’d like, something to show her that we were thinking about her all the time,” Sasha shared. “Every day, I go into her room and tell her I’m by her side. I tell her, ‘Just a little longer, I’m coming, and I won’t leave you.’ The moment she comes back, I won’t leave her side—whether she wants me to or not.”
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