In captivity he sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. “To be a captive and sing ‘our hope is not lost’ feels different. And to sing ‘to be a free people in our land’ takes on a whole new meaning when you are an 80-year-old Israeli civilian in captivity, compared to a child singing it on a holiday.”
Moses recounted being moved frequently between locations in Gaza – including Deir al-Balah, Rafah and Khan Younis – and suspected that other hostages were held nearby. He was not always guarded by the same captors and remained isolated until reuniting with fellow Nir Oz hostage Arbel Yehud shortly before their release.
“You are totally disconnected from your family – you don’t know who’s alive or dead,” Moses said, recalling how the only images he saw were Al Jazeera broadcasts framed through propaganda. “Not having food, sleeping on the ground, I could accept. But not having information, and being lied to about so many things – that was one of the hardest parts.”
Kibbutz Nir Oz (Oren Ben Hakoon)אורן בן חקון
Moses resolved never to show fear in captivity, determined to remain tall and steady, but he recalled two moments of terror, including being forced on the last day to stand in a cemetery beside a freshly dug hole with two armed men at his side.
“I waited to hear the noise of their guns shooting me. I understood it as the end of my life,” he said.
Another time, the terrorist guarding him got dressed in the middle of the night, armed with a Kalashnikov on one side and another gun on the other, put on his hat and shoes, and climbed into his bed fully armed. “I waited for him to wake me up. Why would he get into bed armed if not to kill me?” he said. “In that moment, I felt abnormal fear.”
It later turned out that the terrorist was leaving for two days to deliver his salary to his family.
Throughout his captivity, Moses said he prayed that IDF soldiers would not attempt a rescue.
“For what? So that someone would die trying to get me out? It wasn’t certain they would succeed anyway, and I could have died too. They said if soldiers tried to rescue me, they would kill me first and then fight for themselves,” he said.
Gadi Moses's chaotic release [Missing Credit]
It has now been more than seven months since Moses was released on January 31. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist factions on October 7, 76 were from Kibbutz Nir Oz – the only kibbutz where attackers left without encountering Israeli forces. One in four members of the kibbutz was either killed or kidnapped during the massacre. Nine remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, with four believed to be alive. Since his return, Moses has made every effort to support the families of those still held.
“I go to the demonstrations all the time. I am in Kiryat Gat every week, with them, hugging them and showing my love and support. Those of us who returned from captivity understand the scope of the expectations and the feelings that families of hostages endure. I need to do everything I can to keep this issue on the table,” he added. “The message for decision-makers is to change the mindset, end the war, bring people home, and start rethinking relations with the Palestinians.”
Nir Oz (Oren Ben Hakoon)אורן בן חקון
Moses only grasped the full scale of the disaster upon returning to the kibbutz when he realised the extent of the killings and the destruction of homes for the first time. Young Israelis have joined the effort to rebuild Nir Oz, including 50 young adults from the Hashomer Hatzair movement. The initiative, supported by the Kibbutz Movement Rehabilitation Fund and the Homeward Initiative, is part of a nationwide effort to revive kibbutz communities in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks.
Walking past each house, Moses remembered the families who had lived there, recalling the children and parents in a community where everyone knew one another. Despite the pain, he resolved not to break and vowed to help the kibbutz recover, hoping to see it thrive again.
“There are people who hear voices from the other side. It’s hard for them – they fear for themselves, for their children – and there is reason to be afraid. But I am not. I was here during the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the First and Second Lebanon Wars. I was here on October 7, and here I am,” he said.
“This is my home. We need to protect it, and that means being here, living here, creating here, watching the fields bloom, and gathering our harvest. That is how we protect our home,” he added.
Moses refuses to let negative thoughts control him. While he remembers every moment of the tragedy, he focuses on hope for a better tomorrow. He emphasised that he holds no hatred, seeing it as unproductive, and believes that moving forward requires maintaining humanity. Despite all he has endured, his outlook on the world remains unchanged.
“On every Yom Hazikaron, I stand and I cry. Over 30,000 people died for our independence. Our family is grieving Efrat, but that doesn’t diminish my desire to see this place full of life again,” he said.
“The home is everything – not just the walls, but the smells, the views, the people, the children and grandchildren, the flavours. All of it together makes a home. This will be a home again. Many were murdered and won’t return.
“Right now, our home is wrecked, and it’s hard for my friends, but I believe that together we can change the direction of the wind,” he added.
Gadi Moses's house in Nir Oz (Oren Ben Hakoon)אורן בן חקון