Freed Oct. 7 Hostage Yosef Chaim Ohana to Speak in Sag Harbor on 738 Days in Captivity

The event, titled “Surviving 738 Days in the Tunnels of Gaza,” is scheduled for 11 a.m., with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. A VIP reception will follow at noon. Admission is $36, with premier seating at $85 and a $180 option that includes the reception. Organizers said the location will be shared upon RSVP.

Ohana, 25, was working as a bartender at the Nova festival near Re’im when militants led by Hamas attacked. According to accounts following his release, he helped evacuate wounded victims before being abducted and taken into Gaza. His status was initially listed as missing before his family received confirmation that he had been kidnapped.

During nearly two years in captivity, Ohana said he endured prolonged confinement in underground tunnels, starvation and psychological abuse. After his release on Oct. 13, 2025, he was treated at Sheba Medical Center for nutritional deficiencies and the effects of extended isolation.

A former commander in the Israel Defense Forces’ Givati Brigade, Ohana has since spoken publicly about his experience and advocated for the return of other hostages.

“It helped me understand that I’m a part of something bigger, something much more powerful,” Ohana said to The Times of Israel. “These two years were just a small part of the story of 77 years of fighting for our home, and I’m happy I took part in that. I don’t regret anything I did. There was one thing I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget what it was to love, and when I came back and was reunited with my friends and family and all the people who were happy about my release, I understood why I didn’t forget.”