Hamas announced Sunday that it would release Doron Steinbrecher, as well as Emily Damari and Romi Gonen, on the first day of the first phase of the hostage ceasefire agreement.
Doron, a 31-year-old Romanian-Israeli veterinary nurse, was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
Doron’s mother said she was hiding under her bed when terrorists invaded her apartment. Hiding under her bed, Doron found time to send a final voice message to her loved ones: “They got me, they got me,” her mother wrote in the Financial Times.
Concerns for Doron’s well-being
Little was known about Doron’s status in captivity – although her family was concerned that she was not receiving her medication and had mentioned this to the Red Cross who lectured them in response.
Several months passed before there were any signs of life. In January, after 107 days of captivity, a video was released by Hamas in which Doron, Karina Ariev (19) and Daniela Gilboa (19) spoke to the camera from the tunnels.
Before October 7, Doron’s family said they were still concerned about the country’s security issues.
Doron’s father, Roni Steinbrecher, told Haartz: “If I couldn’t change places with her and sit there instead, I would without hesitation. »
Before October 7
Doron was known for her close family ties, choosing to live near her sister Yamit Ashkenazi.
“Every morning, Doron would ask questions about the children to make sure they were okay. I was torn between the desire to run and get her back and the desire to keep my children safe,” Yamit told Ynet.
Speaking to The Sun, Doron’s mother Simone said Doron’s nephews regularly ask her questions – as they continue to live in the community where Doron was stolen.
The young boys, who gave Doron the nickname “DoDo,” reportedly asked their aunt before bed and created a box of things they learned to show Doron when he returned.
DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD contributed to this report.
