Former hostage Romi Gonen reveals footage from moments she was taken to Gaza

Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, 2023, after Hamas terrorists attacked the festival and communities across southern Israel.

Former hostage Romi Gonen shared excerpts from footage of her abduction to Gaza on Monday during her podcast, "Romi Gonen's New Life," produced in collaboration with V1, describing the fear, pain, and helplessness she remembers from the moments she was taken captive.

Gonen was released from Hamas captivity in a hostage deal in January 2025 after 471 days in captivity.

Reflecting on the footage, Gonen said: "I'm lying there, the sun is shining right on me, my hair is blowing in the wind, and that's what's happening inside the car. Seeing myself lying there like that, alive, it's no longer an image that I had. It's something that's actually alive, breathing. It's crazy."

She continued: "All I felt during those moments in the car was that I was really scared by that point, really scared. My hand hurt, they were shouting a lot of nonsense, they hit me, but all that was going through my head was the pain. It wouldn't let go of me."

Gonen also said: "Toward the end of the video, you can see me opening my eyes. There's something about seeing myself open my eyes at that moment that gives me confirmation that I was conscious there. I wake up with it in the morning; I go to sleep with it at night; it's in my dreams."

Gonen held in Hamas captivity for over a year

Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, 2023, after Hamas terrorists attacked the festival and communities across southern Israel. She was shot in the hand while attempting to flee the festival in a vehicle with friends before being taken into Gaza.

The Hamas-led October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw more than 250 people abducted to Gaza. The Nova festival was one of the main sites of the massacre, where hundreds of festivalgoers were killed, and dozens were abducted.

Gonen remained in Hamas captivity until January 19, 2025, when she was released alongside Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher on the first day of a hostage-ceasefire agreement. The three women were transferred by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza before being handed over to IDF troops.

Following her return to Israel, Gonen underwent prolonged medical treatment for injuries sustained on October 7 and complications stemming from the lack of adequate medical care while she was held in Gaza. She was discharged from Sheba Medical Center in July 2025 after undergoing two complex surgeries.