Rescued

On October 7, 2023, Luis Har’s ordinary life changed forever. Hamas terrorists stormed the home of his partner, Clara Marman, at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and abducted Luis, Clara, and three members of her family, taking them into Gaza.

What followed were 129 days of captivity, marked by hunger, fear, psychological warfare, constant uncertainty, and an unshakable determination to survive. Separated from the outside world, Luis found ways to endure through family, memories, humor, cooking, and the conviction that he would eventually return home. His account also reveals the complicated survival strategies required when a hostage is completely dependent upon his captors.

The book follows Luis from his childhood in Argentina and his decision to make Israel his home to the horrors of October 7, his months in Gaza, and the extraordinary military operation that finally brought him and Fernando Marman home.

A deeply personal firsthand testimony, it is a story of captivity and survival, but above all, of family, resilience, and the refusal to surrender hope.

Luis Har was born in Argentina in 1953 and immigrated to Israel in 1971. He served in the IDF during the Yom Kippur War and later made his home at Kibbutz Urim, where he raised his family. A father of four and grandfather of ten, Har spent nearly forty years working in the kibbutz accounting office while pursuing his passions for cooking, Israeli folk dancing, and theater.

On October 7, 2023, Har was abducted by Hamas from the home of his partner, Clara Marman, at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. He was taken to Gaza along with Clara and three members of her family. After 129 days in captivity, Har and Fernando Marman were rescued from Rafah on February 12, 2024, in a joint operation by the IDF, Israel Security Agency, and Israel Police.

Since his rescue, Har has shared his testimony publicly and advocated for the return of the remaining hostages, carrying forward the message that sustained him throughout captivity: hope.