Former hostage Ilana Gritsevski spoke about her 52 days of captivity.

Ilana Gritsevsky immigrated to Israel from Mexico at the age of 16. After serving in the army and living in Eilat, she moved first to Sderot and then to Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she worked in greenhouses and lived with her partner, Matan Zangauker. On October 7, they were both kidnapped by Hamas militants. In an interview with Channel 12 News, Ilana shared her experience.

“I liked the quiet life and decided to move to Nir Oz to avoid the 40-minute commute,” Ilana says. There she met Matan, who was seven years younger than her. At first, the age difference bothered her, but their relationship became very close.

Recalling the events of October 7, Ilana said: “I woke up early, drinking coffee on the balcony, when the alarms started. We were used to them, but this time I realized that something was wrong.” She woke Matan, and soon they heard gunshots and shouts in Arabic. Militants had broken into their home.