In a statement she delivered last night (Sunday) at the hospital, Sheli Shem Tov, mother of Omer Shem Tov, who was released from Hamas captivity on Saturday under the hostage deal, spoke emotionally about Ori Danino, who sacrificed his life in his attempt to save her son and the Regev siblings Maya and Itay.
He Chose to Return and Save Lives – and Never Returned Himself
“Ori Danino z”l went back into the inferno on October 7 to save them. He didn’t think of himself but of the principle of solidarity he had learned at home. He survived for 11 months in subhuman conditions and was murdered by Hamas. He is the hero and guardian angel of Maya, Itay, and Omer,” Sheli said.
Ori Danino z”l was close to escaping the massacre at the Nova music festival when Hamas’ attack began on October 7. He and his friend each fled to their respective cars, but just before leaving, he stopped and sent his friend a message—he asked for the phone numbers of Maya and Itay Regev and Omer Shem Tov, whom he had met only a few hours earlier. “This is not the time to be a hero,” his friend told him, but Ori replied, “I’ll be fine, I need to bring them home.”
Ori managed to locate Omer and the Regev siblings, but Hamas terrorists stopped the vehicle, and they were abducted to Gaza. Maya and Itay were released in November 2023 as part of the hostage deal, but Ori was murdered in Hamas captivity this past September. Two days ago, with Omer Shem Tov’s return to Israel, Ori’s mission was completed—he had succeeded in saving all three of them.
“He Knew What He Was Walking Into – and He Wouldn’t Have Chosen Otherwise”
Ori’s family members say his decision did not surprise them. “We know that Ori wouldn’t have acted any differently; this is who he was,” said his father, Rabbi Elhanan Danino, to Ynet. “When he told me in the past that dying for the country would be the greatest honor for him, I never thought it would happen, but I knew he meant it. We live with the immense pain of loss, but also with the knowledge that this was his will.”
On Ori’s memorial Instagram page, only three words were posted two days ago:
“Ori, you succeeded.”
