Raz Asher

Doron Katz Asher and her daughters, Raz, aged 4, and Aviv, aged 2, experienced a harrowing nearly 50-day captivity in Gaza, from which they were released as part of the initial stage of an Israel-Hamas hostage deal. Their ordeal began when Doron, visiting family in Kibbutz Nir Oz with her daughters, was abducted during a Hamas attack on October 7. This attack tragically resulted in the death of Doron's mother and minor injuries to Doron and Aviv amidst a shootout with Israeli forces.

In captivity, Doron faced the immense challenge of protecting and comforting her young daughters under dire conditions. She recounted the constant fear for their safety, saying, “(I felt) Fear. Fear that maybe because my daughters are crying and are making some noise they’ll get some directive from above to take them, to do something to them. Constant fear.” The family's initial days were spent in a Gaza family's apartment, where Doron's wounds were treated without anesthesia as her daughters witnessed, adding to the trauma.

The family's captors, including a Palestinian mother and two daughters who spoke Hebrew, imposed strict silence but provided minimal comforts like coloring pencils and paper. Doron took this time to teach Raz Hebrew, starting with the word "aba" (dad), clinging to hope amid despair.

As the Israeli military's bombing intensified, their captors misled Doron with false promises of an imminent release, prolonging their anguish. Eventually, the family was moved to a hospital, where they were confined with other Israeli captives in a small, windowless room, suffering from inconsistent food supply and restricted toilet access. Doron recounted the difficulties in caring for her daughters under these conditions, including managing a high fever without proper medical supplies and rationing food to ensure her daughters had enough to eat.

Throughout this ordeal, Doron's resolve was fortified by her daughters' presence, stating, “What helped me survive there was that my daughters were with me. I had something to fight for.” Despite the unimaginable circumstances, she maintained a facade of calmness for Raz and Aviv, who struggled to understand their situation with innocent questions about returning home and their daily routines.

Raz, in a poignant moment with her father Yoni after their release, encapsulated the surreal transition from captivity to freedom, saying, "I dreamt we came home," to which Yoni replied, "Now the dream came true."