Ori Danino was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, as he tried to escape the Nova festival massacre with three others he had returned to rescue. Tragically, he was later murdered in captivity, and brought to burial in Israel in November 2023, after his body was recovered during an IDF operation in a Hamas tunnel.
Eliya Cohen, a survivor of Hamas captivity recently released in the hostage deal, has shared new details about the extraordinary bravery Ori demonstrated against the terrorists. In an interview today (Thursday) with Israel Hayom, Ori’s father, Elhanan Danino, recounted how his son fought the terrorists until the very last moment.
“He Took a Punch That Shattered His Skull”
“Eliya told us that Ori was not abducted in the usual way,” said his father. “The terrorists fired at their vehicle, and Ori managed to jump out and hide in a bush. Hamas terrorists went searching for the driver, and when one of them found Ori, he was met with a punch that shattered his skull and caused him to lose his sight.”
Ori’s father added that the Hamas terrorists frantically searched for the person who had blinded their comrade. “Later, when Ori told Eliya about the punch he had delivered, Eliya was able to confirm that it had indeed been him,” he noted. “They had no idea it was Ori.”
According to Eliya Cohen’s testimony, even during the journey to Gaza, Ori continued to resist. “He didn’t give up. He fought them with his fists. During the first three days after October 7, he physically struggled with the terrorists to force them to treat Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had lost his hand during the abduction. Thanks to Ori’s efforts, they eventually closed the wound that was constantly bleeding.”
