Omri Miran, a Hungarian-Israeli citizen and father of two young daughters, was abducted from his home by jihadist militants during the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. His wife, father, and sister were guests at an event jointly organized by the Directorate General for International Affairs and the Ludovika Collegium.
503 days—that is how long it has been since this father, of Hungarian descent on his mother’s side, was taken from his home near the Gaza Strip. "It is an honor to host the family of a hostage who remains in captivity," said Márk Joszipovics Fodor, a staff member of the Ludovika Talent Center, as he welcomed Omri Miran’s father, wife, and sister, as well as the event’s attendees. He added that having previously worked at the Hungarian Embassy in Israel, it was a particular pleasure for him to welcome the guests.
A 180-Degree Turn
The couple has two daughters: one is three and a half years old, the other is nearly two. As Omri Miran’s wife, Lisaj Lavi, recounted, all four of them were taken hostage by Hamas on that October day. By the end of the day, however, her husband was taken to Gaza. As she detailed what had happened, Omri Miran’s sister, Naama, held up a picture of her brother for the audience to see. She explained that she lives farther north, away from the southern areas, where no air raid sirens went off that day. In the evening, she learned what had happened to her brother through a phone call from Omri’s mother-in-law. There are four siblings in the family, and Omri, the abducted father, is the third among them. "That day, our lives took a 180-degree turn; we feel his absence every single moment," she added.
Omri’s father, Daniel Miran, expressed his gratitude for being able to attend the event. "The future diplomats are sitting in front of me. It is important that an event like this encourages everyone to think differently so that such tragedies never happen again," he said. He then recalled the events of that day. October 7 was a Jewish holiday, but from early morning, the television was already showing air raid sirens sounding in the southern regions. He routinely called his son, who lived in Kibbutz Nahal Oz near the Gaza Strip, to check on him. As usual, Omri reassured him that they were fine. However, by the next call, the situation had changed dramatically: terrorists had broken into the kibbutz. Omri’s wife and children were already in the shelter room. "Be quiet," Omri added, before saying that he was only stepping out to grab two knives, as they had no other weapons. At 11:00 a.m., Omri’s father sent him a message—but there was no reply.
Horrors, Live on Air
There was no response, Lisaj continued, because by then, five terrorists had broken into their home, speaking Arabic. They soon heard the voice of their neighbors' little boy, who was pleading with them to open the door, or else he would be killed. They opened it. The younger daughter was lying on her mother’s shoulder, while the older one was asleep. The terrorists dragged them into the kitchen, pointed guns at them, and demanded their weapons. By then, the three-and-a-half-year-old daughter had woken up. After confirming that the family had no weapons, the terrorists forced them into the neighbor’s house. That was the last time Omri’s family saw the little neighbor boy—he, his mother, and her partner were all murdered. The family’s two daughters were taken to Gaza but were freed after 50 days as part of the first hostage release. At that time, they learned only one thing about Omri: he was still alive. That was over a year ago.
At the house where the Miran family was taken, the eldest child of that family had also been murdered, along with his parents and two siblings. Eight people in total had guns pointed at them. Later, two elderly American neighbors were also brought into the house. The terrorists opened Facebook on one of the neighbors' phones and live-streamed the situation. They showed the eight terrified people sitting on the floor and announced their demands. "No one came to rescue us," Lisaj added. Eventually, the two men and the two elderly Americans were taken away, leaving only the two mothers and their children behind.
"For the next four hours, we sat motionless, paralyzed by fear. We heard shouting in Arabic, gunfire, and rockets. Around 5:30 p.m., the Israeli army found us—11 hours after the air raid sirens had sounded, 7 hours after the Facebook Live broadcast." Soldiers evacuated them from house to house as firefights raged around them. Fighting in the kibbutz continued until noon the next day.
‘Shout It to the World!’
Lisaj’s parents also live nearby. She called them and asked them to inform Omri’s father that his son had been taken. By midnight, they were evacuated from the kibbutz and taken to another location, where her parents were also transported. Now, they are raising the two little girls together. "Since then, we have been fighting in our own way for Omri’s return and raising awareness that innocent people are being held hostage in Gaza."
Their younger daughter, Alma, who was only six months old at the time, does not remember her father. However, her older sister, Roni, has started recalling traumatic memories and now understands that her father is held captive by "bad people." "The real victim in all this is Omri, who cannot see his children grow up," Daniel remarked.
In response to a question from students, it was explained that the kidnappers are demanding that for each abducted Israeli, Israel must release fifty Palestinians who have been convicted and are currently serving prison sentences. They also insist that Hamas remain in power in Gaza.
"Our story is just one of many. That day, over 200 people were kidnapped. You have heard one case today, but we must not forget any of them, and we must fight to ensure that this never happens again. You are the representatives and diplomats of the future—shout it to the world that these people must be freed immediately. There are still more than 70 hostages in Gaza," Lisaj urged.
Photos: Dénes Szilágyi