Raz Bukobza jumped out of a Hamas vehicle on October 7th: This is his story

Raz Bukobza, a young man from Beit Nehemia, was among the Israelis kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on the Nova music festival. His story came into sharp focus this week when a fellow hostage, Eliya Cohen, shared a firsthand account of how Raz tried to escape and lost his life in the process. For his family, those brief moments reveal a bravery they’re determined to honor.

Cohen, who survived captivity in Gaza, spoke on Channel 12 News yesterday, detailing the chaotic abduction. He described how Raz, one of five hostages loaded onto a truck by Hamas terrorists, decided to jump from the moving vehicle. “I remember him saying, ‘I’m jumping,’” Cohen said. “We tried to convince him not to, but he jumped anyway. The terrorists stopped and shot him dead. We kept going like nothing happened.” The incident happened near a shelter on Route 232, just minutes after their capture.

Raz’s brother, Ofek Bukobza, spoke to Ynet about the weight of those five minutes. “Eliya was with Raz in his last moments, but for us, it’s everything,” he said. The family had already seen car camera footage from that day showing Raz leaping from the truck before being killed, but Cohen’s words added a personal dimension. “It’s chilling to hear they were on the same truck and that he saw my brother murdered,” Ofek added. “It takes your breath away.”

The Bukobzas learned of Raz’s fate early on through two text messages he sent that morning, delayed by poor signal. The first read, “It’s chaos, there are rockets, we’re getting into the car.” The second, sent as the attack worsened, said, “We’ve been hit, I love you.” Combined with the video evidence, these glimpses painted a picture of Raz’s final hours, confirmed now by Cohen’s testimony.

Of the five hostages on the truck, only four reached Gaza. Two, Cohen and Or Levy, later returned home. Raz didn’t make it. “If he hadn’t jumped, he might have come back alive,” Ofek reflected, acknowledging the painful what-if after 18 months. Yet he finds pride in Raz’s choice. “We’re glad he decided to act. Jumping was his way of taking control, a brave move.”

The ordeal began at the Nova festival, where Hamas killed and kidnapped scores of attendees. Cohen recounted hiding in a shelter, later called the “death shelter”, with others, including Raz. As grenades flew, Aner Shapira heroically threw them back until he was shot, leaving the survivors vulnerable. Soon after, Raz and the others were forced onto the truck, setting the stage for his fateful decision.

Ofek said the family wants to speak with Cohen and Levy to learn more about Raz’s last minutes. “Every detail matters to us,” he noted. They’ve seen the videos, but a survivor’s voice brings a new connection. To keep Raz’s memory alive, they’re building an observation point in Beit Nehemia, also honoring his friend Ilai Cohen, killed in Gaza combat.

Raz’s story echoes beyond his family. Kobi Ohel, whose son Alon remains a hostage after 544 days, heard Cohen describe Alon’s dire state in the tunnels, blind in one eye and deteriorating. “It shows how urgent it is to bring them back,” Kobi told Ynet, urging a hostage deal. For the Bukobzas, Raz’s fate is final, but his courage fuels their resolve.

In just five minutes on that truck, Raz Bukobza made a split-second choice that ended his life but defined his legacy: a young man who refused to surrender quietly.