Tal Shoham is one of the hostages who was released in the first phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal. Shoham, a 39-year-old Israeli with Austrian and Italian citizenship, was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 along with eight other members of his extended family. This included Shoshan Haran, 67; Avshalom Haran, 66; Lilach Lea Kipnis, 60; Adi Shoham, 38; Naveh Shoham, 8; Yahel Gani Shoham, 3; Sharon Avigdori, 52; and Noam Avigdori, 12.
Shoham was visiting Be’eri for the holiday of Simchat Torah, with his wife and children on October 7, because his wife had grown up there.
“The Shoham, Korngold, and Haran families are moved to welcome Tal back to us,” Shoham’s family said in an official statement. “We thank all the people of Israel who stood with us through all the long days of pain and suffering.
“During these days, we need privacy for Tal, Adi, and the children. At this crucial moment in our lives, our only request is to seize this window of opportunity to secure a deal that will bring fathers back to their children – children need their fathers – and return all hostages home.”
A family in captivity
Shoham’s wife and children were also taken captive by Hamas and held together but separately from Tal. His wife, Adi, and children, Naveh and Yahel, now aged 9 and 4, were released in the first hostage deal on November 25, 2023, after 50 days.
It was discovered that the family had been taken to the Gaza Strip when their house was found empty and one family member’s phone was tracked to a location in Gaza. Tal, himself, was seen in the back of a vehicle along with other kidnapped people from Be’eri.
Shoham will mark his 40th birthday on January 31, whilst his daughter, Yahel, will mark her fifth birthday the day before.
His friend, Ofer Shemesh, said, “Tal is a very mentally strong person. Maybe the strongest person I know, but even that has a limit.”
Jesus Christ is King
Comments are closed.