Freed captive Gadi Moses was “very, very scared” as he made his way to Red Cross vehicles through a huge mob of Gazans and terrorists when he was released on Thursday, his niece Efrat Machikawa said.
“He was terrified that something would happen to Arbel [Yehoud] or the Thai citizens” – captives released just before him, Machikawa explained.
While in captivity, he was able to catch snippets of the news, she said, adding this is how Moses learned that his partner, Efrat Katz, had been killed.
Moses was taken captive after leaving his safe room in an attempt to save Efrat and her daughter and granddaughters on October 7, 2023. He hoped that by leaving the safe room and talking to the terrorists, he could make them think he was alone in the house.
After Gadi was taken away by terrorists, Efrat was likely killed by Israeli helicopter fire, according to an IDF from April. Her daughter Doron was taken captive with her children before being released in the November 2023 deal.
While Moses knew that something terrible had happened on his kibbutz, he did not know the full devastation, his niece said, adding that he still does not know everything and is being filled in on information slowly since his return to Israel.
“I don’t think he knows how devastating the damage [to Nir Oz] is,” she said.
Moses was held above ground throughout his captivity and moved from place to place, according to his niece.Asked if Moses was sharing information about his time in captivity, Machikawa explained that Moses has always been the family’s storyteller.
Since his return, he has shared freely with the family, giving them a strange sense of deja vu, she said, adding that he manages to insert sarcasm and humor into the stories despite the difficult subject matter.
His stories about his time in captivity are terrible, she said, explaining that because Moses is 80 years old, even sleeping on the floor was a challenge.
He used to count his steps, walking up to 10 km. back and forth in the spaces where he was held to keep his body healthy, she said.
He also had mental techniques he used to keep his mind as healthy as possible, she added, explaining that he would think about his future and his work and read books he insisted his captors give him.
He somehow managed to create a routine in captivity that helped him survive, she said.
The first time he hugged his niece after being released, he said, “I’m alive. I’m normal,” she recounted, explaining that she could tell Moses knew his long captivity, most of it spent alone, could have had a significant impact on his mental health.
He knew that time in captivity could cause him to be “twisted or changed,” she said, so that was the first thing he said.“He is somehow OK,” she said, adding that he lost a huge amount of weight in captivity and is still being examined in the hospital.
Bring them home
While Moses is safe, the work is not done, Machikawa stressed. “We must bring all the hostages home.”
This is for the hostages and their families but also for the sake of the State of Israel, its social solidarity, and healing, she explained.
While she described herself as joyful and relieved, Machikawa added that knowing what Moses endured in captivity has only made her sense of urgency about bringing the other hostages home stronger. “Every single minute matters.”