Released hostage Liri Albag recalls terror – "I saw the evil in their eyes" 

Liri Albag, one of the female lookouts who survived the Hamas terror attack on her IDF base on October 7, and who was released in January 2025 after over a year of captivity, recounted the harrowing events she endured.

In an upcoming interview on Channel 12, Albag vividly describes the overwhelming fear and trauma that have haunted her ever since.

"Since October 7th I have been living in one long nightmare, waiting for someone to wake me up, to tell me, 'It was all a dream; it didn't really happen,' but unfortunately it did," she said sadly.

Recalling the moment the terrorists stormed the base, she said: "There was a look in their eyes I'll never forget. We saw the evil in their eyes, the hatred, it was very scary."

Albag detailed the horrifying moment when she and her fellow soldiers were bound by their captors: "While we were standing there, tied up, we thought that they were going to slaughter us, shoot us. I was sure of that and I went into survival mode, I said to myself, ‘what am I going to do to get out of here alive?’"

The terrorists issued chilling threats, telling them: "If you do as we tell you, we will not kill you. You are coming with us to Gaza." In response, Albag and the others said: "Yes, take us to Gaza."

Amit Soussana, a former hostage releases after 55 days in captivity, detailed how Alba helped save her life during their time in Gaza.

Speaking on Israel's Channel 12 investigative program "Uvda" (Fact) in her first Israeli media interview, Soussana recounted the harrowing moments of her capture, her widely circulated struggle against the terrorists, and her traumatic time in captivity.

"With drones overhead, I started thrashing around, deliberately stumbling - I wanted them to know 'you don't scare me, I won't go without a fight,'" Soussana revealed, describing how Albag's courage in confronting their captor proved lifesaving. "The terrorist told me 'You have 40 minutes to tell me the truth or I'll kill you.' But Liri stood up to him with such strength. She was pure strength. I felt weak next to her - she's extraordinary. I told her 'You saved my life.'"