Following the October 7 attacks, Avinatan Or endured 738 days of captivity within the Gaza Strip. His new memoir, Through the Earth,details the traumatic separation from Noa Argamani and his subsequent struggle for survival in subterranean tunnels.

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The separation at the Nova music festival

As reported by the source, Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani attempted to flee the Nova music festival during the October 7 attacks. Seeking safety from the gunmen, the pair found refuge in a ditch where they remained in silence for approximately two hours. This period of hiding ended around 10:30 am when they were discovered by militants.

The subsequent capture led to the moment that became a global symbol of the massacre: the footage of Argamani being taken away on a motorcycle. Or describes a crushing sense of helplessness as he watched her being driven toward the Gaza border while he was restrained by a large group of men. This event was part of a larger day of violence that resulted in 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages.

A brutal assault by ten to fifteen captors

Once Argamani was removed from the scene, the violence turned directly toward Or. According to the report, he was lynched by a group of ten to fifteen people. During this assault, a large wooden plank was smashed into his head, leaving him bleeding profusely from his face and shirt.

After being beaten and kicked, Or was eventually taken across the border into the darkness of the Gaza tunnels . This physical trauma was only the beginning of a long period of isolation and suffering that would last for over two years.

The secret attempt to dig an escape tunnel

During his 738 days of captivity, Or lived in a state of profound isolation deep beneath the earth. In Through the Earth, he reveals a desperate and secret attempt to dig his own tunnel to escape his captors. This effort was eventually discovered, which resulted in periods of brutal torture. The psychological toll of this imprisonment was so immense that it ultimately prevented his relationship with Argamani from surviving the trauma.

Or's experience in the tunnels was defined by several harrowing factors:

  • Extreme isolation: Living in subterranean darkness for over two years.
  • Psychological warfare: Being fed false information regarding the status of other captives.
  • Physical retaliation: Facing torture following his failed escape attempt.

    • The missing information regarding the 251 hostages

    While Or's memoir provides a visceral account of his survival, it is a singular perspective that leaves several questions regarding the broader hostage crisis unanswered. The report notes that Or was frequently kept in the dark about the fate of other individuals held in Gaza.

    It remains unclear how many of the original 251 hostages are still being held or what specific conditions they face in the subterranean network. furthermore,the source does not provide details on the identities or current status of the other captives that Or was prevented from knowing about during his time in the tunnels.