Kidnapped by Hamas, Rescued by Heroes

Luis lives in a kibbutz, just a few miles from the Gaza border. On October 7th, 2023, he and four family members were taken hostage—during the Hamas invasion. Luis recounts the terrifying moments: "We all huddled in the corner of the safe room and that's what saved our lives. They attempted to open the door, and the bullets flew over our heads. On the third try they broke through. They came in while shooting. There were five terrorists. They stood on top of us, as if we were the floor."

After the brutal abduction, the hostages were forced to run for hours through tunnels—forty yards underground. Then, the attackers disguised them in women’s clothing and drove them to a house to hide. Luis explains the nature of his captors: "They are Hamas, it was their decision to join. Hamas is a terrorist group. They prepared the house to receive hostages. One of them opened up and talked to us and treated us well. We were fortunate. This was another miracle. Because this guy protected us from the others. They were savages with hatred in their eyes. And they wanted to kill us."
After 54 days, the female hostages were freed as part of a ceasefire deal. But Luis remained in Hamas captivity for three more months—until Israeli troops rescued him. Luis vividly remembers his rescue: "I opened my eyes. I saw bullets flying by. There was like a net of red lines, there was a war inside that room. Someone called out to me, 'Louis, back here, here.' I crawled back to that corner, and someone grabbed my head, pushed my head down, and whispered, 'Louis, IDF, IDF. We came to take you home.'"

Luis was finally free to return home—but the scars were still fresh. He didn’t feel safe, and there was little he could do to change that. Luis shares the lasting impact: "I was not tortured, I was not bound with chains like others, but still, it's not easy. The trauma is deep. We have to learn to live with the trauma. Now I'm back on the kibbutz, and there are new challenges here. First of all, I said that without a security room, I'm not coming back. If it wasn't for people donating, I couldn’t have done it. Thanks to your donations, I have a safe room, and I have a home. And I came home."

Thanks to your support, CBN Israel helped Luis build a fortified safe room—to protect him from rockets and future attacks. Now, despite the brutality he endured at the hands of Hamas, Luis can feel secure again... and live his life with new hope. Luis reflects on his renewed purpose: "Those soldiers who came and rescued me, they didn't just give me my life back, they gave me a mission: To give hope and give light. And that's what I do. It's hard to believe, but from that moment on, I am a different person. Today I look at the good, I look at my children, my grandchildren, and I enjoy every moment. People who helped me are interested in our struggle, and they're involved in what we're going through. This support is so important to us. It helps us so much to keep going."

Luis concludes with a heartfelt message: "I want to thank CBN for their support, the gift they gave me is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. And I think everyone you've helped will remember you, and many, many thanks. I wish we could meet, so I could thank you personally. Thank you."