November 28 will be the first anniversary of the release of Gabriela Leimberg, her 17-year-old daughter Mia and her sister Clara Marman after two months of captivity in the hands of Hamas in Gaza.
At the time, they had left behind Gabriela and Clara’s brother, Fernando Marman, as well as Luis Har, Clara’s partner, with all the uncertainties of captivity in the hands of Hamas.
« [Le Hamas] told us we were all on the list [des personnes à libérer]and then it would just be the three of us,” Leimberg explains to Times of Israel.
“It was a terrible heartbreak to leave Fernando and separate us, with the only hope that the releases would continue. »
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All five had been kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, with Mia’s dog, a Shih Tzu named Bella, hiding in her pajamas. The family had gathered to spend the weekend and celebrate Simchat Torah together at Clara’s house in Nir Yitzhak.
More than two months later, on February 12, to the family’s great joy, Fernando and Luis were rescued by IDF soldiers and returned home to Israel.
When the brief truce ended on November 30, leaving Fernando and Luis in Gaza, it was the beginning of a period even harsher than captivity, Leimberg says.
“Knowing that you have loved ones in Gaza is harder than being a hostage,” she continues.
Mia Leimberg, Gabriela Leimberg and Moshe Leimberg were reunited on November 28, 2023 after Mia and Gabriela were taken hostage in Gaza on October 7 (Courtesy)
For the first 53 days of captivity, the five members of the family were sequestered together.
Leimberg explains that they had seen some images on television and were aware of the fight to free them as well as of the truce which had begun at the end of November.
It was only during the very first days of the temporary ceasefire, from November 24 to 30, 2023, that Leimberg and his entourage found that they were freeing elderly women, mothers and children, but not of men.
“Luis had just turned 70,” Leimberg recalls of his sister’s companion, “which led us to believe that he was undoubtedly the oldest hostage and Mia,” his 17-year-old daughter, “ undoubtedly the youngest.
They were surprised to learn that there were older hostages, as well as children, toddlers and even babies.
“Every night, we went to bed not knowing if we would be released, then we realized that it was not our turn yet,” she adds. “The ceasefire [semblait avoir] ended, and we did not know if we would eventually be released. »
The initial four-day truce between Israel and Hamas was extended for two days on November 27, 2023, and then a final time, for one day, until November 30.
Leimberg, her daughter and her sister were released on November 28.
Mia Leimberg, 17, center, with her mother, Gabriela Leimberg, right, and aunt Clara Marman, left, upon their release from Hamas captivity on November 28, 2023. (Screenshot/ Authorisation)
Leimberg, who is a social psychologist and lives in Jerusalem, has worked with adults with special needs for many years. She has not yet returned to work. She has remained in her little bubble, made up of her family and friends, since the attack on October 7 and captivity.
Her family has just moved to Jerusalem, and for the moment, she is focusing on her rehabilitation and that of her loved ones.
“I never imagined that at my age, 60, I would suffer from this kind of trauma,” she admits.
Mia graduated from high school in June and is moving on with her life, her mother said, with plans to serve in the military in the next year.
Former Hamas hostage Aviv Geffen and Mia Leimberg hug in his studio after recording “Black Sunrise” – released December 20, 2023 (Screenshot)
But Clara Leimberg goes at a slower pace.
“There are times when I get back to my old life, get up in the morning and go to work, but for now, my life revolves around our rehabilitation,” she says.
“I was hostage and my husband was alone,” Leimberg recalls. “Clara was in Gaza and her daughters in Israel. We knew we were alive, not our families. They didn’t know what had happened to us, and the families’ distress is difficult to understand. »
Now, a year later, the members of this Argentinian family who love spending time together continue to get together, but it’s no longer the same.
Leimberg and his family always met at Nir Yitzhak, the kibbutz where Clara lived, to celebrate birthdays and holidays with Argentinian barbecues and the meals they loved.
Five residents were killed at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7 and eight were presumed hostages. All five members of the Marman-Leimberg family were released, and three members of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak were later discovered killed on October 7. Their bodies had been taken hostage in Gaza.
The bodies of two men, Lior Rudaeff and Tal Haimi, are still detained in Gaza, while the body of Oren Goldin was recovered on July 24 by IDF soldiers and brought back to Israel for burial.
“Clara has not yet returned home to Nir Yitzhak. We see each other, but sometimes we have to separate in the face of the influx of memories,” says Leimberg.
“We have this in common: it’s part of who we are now. »
Fernando Marman, far left, Gabriela Leimberg, Mia Leimberg, Clara Marman (second from right) and Luis Har were all taken hostage in Gaza on October 7 before being released. (Courtesy)
She prefers not to dwell on the conditions in which they were held in captivity.
“When you are deprived of your liberty, you cannot make any decisions for yourself and there is a constant threat that your life will end suddenly,” she continues. “It’s hell and we were very lucky to be able to return home. »
There are still 101 hostages in Gaza, and although she lives in Jerusalem, Leimberg makes sure to attend the weekly Saturday evening demonstration in support of the hostages at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.
“I feel like I have to be there,” she explains. “I am a mother and I have been a mother in captivity: as a woman and a mother, I must be with other mothers. »
Leimberg says she is surrounded by a protective bubble, made of the love of her family, her friends and the whole country.
From left to right: Gabriela Leimberg kisses her brother Fernando Marman, Clara Marman next to her partner Louis Har, at the Sheba hospital center on February 12, 2024 (Courtesy)
“We owe our return to our country, to the army, to the soldiers and to the police,” says Leimberg. “I have, in my close circle, the example of a successful rescue, but thanks to the temporary ceasefire, 105 hostages were released, which is more than any military mission. This is what I am waiting for now: for all the hostages to be released at the same time. »
In recent days, Leimberg has been looking at the photo she now uses as her WhatsApp profile picture.
In this photo (which is the main illustration of this article), we see her with her brother Fernando during a recent demonstration in support of the hostages, with a veritable human tide behind them.
“It’s very strong for us,” she confides. “One of the things I thought about in captivity was that we would come home because of our country and their fight for us. This love still envelops me today. I want to continue to believe in it. »