Alon Ohel was taken from a death shelter after escaping from Nova Music Festival. Now, after two years in Hamas captivity, he is finally back home.
After more than two years in Hamas captivity, 24-year-old Aaron Oher is expected to finally return home to Ravin in northern Israel. On October 7, 2023, the German, Serbian and Israeli national was kidnapped from a shelter after fleeing the Nova Music Festival.
Concerns about Alon were heightened after Hamas released a propaganda video in September showing that Alon was in poor health. The freed hostage also testified that he lost sight in one eye and suffered shrapnel injuries on the day of his abduction.
Ronen Ohel told Vara in February that the hostages released in the previous deal were evidence of his brother's abuse.
Ronan was told that Alon had been shackled and held in underground Hamas tunnels from November until at least February. Explaining the difficult conditions his brother endured, Ronan said Aron was severely malnourished and could only eat one piece of pita bread a day.
A Hamas propaganda video released in September featured Alon and fellow hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. The video, titled “Time is running out,” shows the pair visibly malnourished.
The silent piano awaits the performance of talented pianist and hostage Aaron Oher. (Source: Jonathan Westendiger)
Aaron's family said they asked that the video, which left them “shaking and in agony,” not be released.
Aron was briefly held captive with former hostages Eli Sharabi, who describes Aron as his “best friends for 14 months,” Or Levy and Eliyah Cohen in his new book. These three were released in past transactions.
On April 28, 2025, the family of Israeli hostage Aaron Oher held a press conference in Tel Aviv Hostage Square. (Image source: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
“It's just luck that I'm here and he's not. I'm upset about that,” O said, describing the guilt he felt at being forced to leave Aron. “When they told us we were going home, they told Aaron he had a date too. I hugged him one last time and said, 'Come on, we'll see you soon,' but that didn't happen.”
“Eight months after my return, I'm still in pain,” he said of the collapse of several rounds of negotiations that blocked his own release. “They arrived at the well, were properly fed and waiting to be next on the list – and then everything fell apart. They were left in the pit to drown.”
Sneak the card out of prison
It is said that while in captivity, Alon kept his spirits up by tapping his fingers as if he were playing a piano. Times of Serbia also reported that earlier this year he managed to smuggle a birthday card to his sister and entrusted the card to hostages who had been freed in a previous deal.
According to the Jewish News, Aron will be one of many hostages to be granted new citizenship upon release. Aron's grandmother, Tzipi Ohel, who was born in Berlin and survived the Holocaust, sailed to Israel in 1949, allowing Aron to obtain German citizenship in his absence.
Before being kidnapped, Aaron was preparing to start studying music just weeks after returning from a trip to Asia, Barrons reported. His brother said the first thing he wanted Aaron to do when he came back was play the piano. “
His family, like many who have been taken away, has spent the past two years lobbying officials for a deal to free him.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, one of the many international officials following Aaron's captivity, told The Jerusalem Post last week, “We are deeply gratified by the news that our citizen Aaron Oher may be one of those released in the first phase of this arrangement…Serbia has been extremely concerned about his situation from the beginning and has quietly supported efforts for his safe return through diplomatic channels.”
Alex Winston contributed to this report.