According to Hamas’ telegram channel, Ori Danino is one of the six captives, who were discovered underneath a tunnel in Rafah murdered on August 31, and a clip was published. The other victims were Eden Yerushalmi, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin. This clip was put on the net on Tuesday September 3.
The video begins with a short collection of images containing the photographs of the six kidnapped persons. It is then followed by hostage Ori Danino who introduces himself, states his name. Where he comes from, and where he was abducted from. Danino in the video recounted the unbearable living standards they were experiencing, “Our living conditions are very difficult. There is no food, no water no electricity,” and Gonik notes the incessant gunfire and shelling.
In a reprimand addressed to Netanyahu and others on the war cabinet. Danino blames Israeli leadership for the October 7 disaster of hostages. And making them die via futile attempts to rescue them. He turned to them and asked about them being absent during the shooting on 7 October and thereafter. “Today you are trying to kill us one after another in failed rescue attempts,” he says.
Danino then addresses the audience, particularly the Israeli people. Asking them to make sure they do everything in their power to bring back the hostages. “Keep doing everything until we get out of here alive .get us out of here I mean at this pace no one is going to remain. He conveys his strong affection towards his family. And how he wishes them well and thinks about them all day he says. The last line is about Danino’s insistence; “Peoples of Israel, do not forget us.”
The last frame shows a clip of a sand timer with inscribed ‘time is of essence’. It also contains the messages ‘Exchange deal…freedom and life. Compulsory military pressure… death and failure.
Reportedly, 25-year-old Danino helped other Nova participants who were present during the Hamas assault on October 7. When other attendees tried to help, he was captured by Hamas terrorists as he attempted to help more attendees. His partner Liel described him as someone who “was good at everything” and “came back after over 300 days in prison full of hope and faith.”
Ori’s mother Einav Danino described her son as a “nice shiny true warrior” who held an important role in the army and was rather decorated.
She admitted that they received signs of life from him almost every month during the three months he spent in captivity, increasing their hopes of seeing him again. Einav spoke about the time they received the news of Danino’s death, which was about four in the morning. And how they were in denial that it happened.
And Einav told Ori’s story on October 7, the party in which Ori met Maya and Itay Regev. Though Ori’s friend tried to change his mind, Ori returned to save them when he realized they were in peril. Sadly, the terrorists opened fire at his vehicle, and he was captured. His family retained the hope that they would see him back during the time he was held captive. But sadly it did not turn out to be the case.
