Hannukah in Hell

Hamas filmed these videos as propaganda, but the faith, love and strength of the murdered 'Beautiful Six' shines through as they light candles in the darkness.

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The entire world must see our loved ones in these moments, their unity, strength, and humanity even in the darkest times. ~ families of the Beautiful Six.

We will never forget you:

Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, Ori Danino, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi.

“Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”

The footage above was found in the Gaza Strip and documents the Hannukah celebration many have been sharing lately, as well as other scenes taken over months in captivity. It is terrible to think their captors filmed them like this; you can see it in the eyes of the hostages as they look up from time to time at the men filming them. The worst is the last scene as they are walking through the tunnels to their deaths.

Here is a link to just the Hannukah celebration with a translation.

In August 2024, these beautiful souls were murdered with bullets to their heads as IDF forces closed in on the area.

Statement from their families:

The families of The Beautiful Six want to thank the people of Israel and the millions around the world who watched the harrowing footage of our loved ones with us. Lighting Hanukkah candles in that dark place captures the essence of the Jewish spirit: light prevailing over darkness.

Hamas filmed these videos as propaganda, but the humanity of the beautiful six shines through this footage. It is stronger than any terrorist organization. These videos bear witness to evil and failure. The entire world must see our loved ones in these moments, their unity, strength, and humanity even in the darkest times. They were taken alive, they survived in captivity, and they should have come home alive.

Nothing will bring our loved ones back to life. Only bringing the truth to light, only genuine accountability at the national level, can bring justice and healing to all our hearts.

Our families want to remind everyone that the mission isn’t over. We’re calling for the immediate return of hero Roni Gvili, the shield of Kibbutz Alumim. And we’re calling on every family in Israel: when you gather to light Hanukkah candles, remember our loved ones and all the families of soldiers, the wounded, the hostages, the murdered, and the fallen who will never light candles together again, families who have been waiting nearly 800 days for answers.

Hamas still refuses to release the body of Roni Gvili. When you think of light in the darkness, think of him.

About ten days before the October 7 massacre, he had broken his shoulder and was waiting for surgery, yet he still chose to join the battle. On the morning of the attack, as his family entered the shelter, he walked out and returned moments later dressed in uniform.

His father, Itzik, said: “Rani told us he would not let his friends fight alone, and that even with the fracture he could still hold a handgun. I will never forget the look in his eyes. It was as if he was saying, ‘This is what I have waited for my entire life.’” Gvili went to the Beersheba police station, joined the forces headed toward Alumim and was shot in the arm and leg during the fighting.

During the battle near Alumim, Gvili rescued about 100 people who had fled the Nova music festival and killed 14 members of the Hamas terrorist organization before he was abducted.

The deaths of the Beautiful Six are made worse, if possible, when we realize their bodies were found in a tunnel beneath an entrance near murals of dolls and cartoon characters, suggesting the presence of a children’s play area.

What kind of monsters cared so little for their own children when surely even mothers and fathers must have known of this tunnel’s existence.

The contrast between the love of life of these murdered Israelis and the love of death of those who tormented and killed them and put their own children in harms’ way is hard to grasp.

So that we never forget, here are some reminders of these beautiful souls and their stories.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Hersh was an Israeli American hostage who suffered severe injuries to both of his hands during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and his subsequent captivity.

On October 7, Hersh sought refuge in a small bomb shelter with 28 other people during the Supernova music festival. Hamas militants threw multiple grenades into the shelter. One of these blasts blew off his left arm from the elbow down and severely injured his other hand.

Despite this, Hersch was seen on video walking under his own strength to a Hamas pickup truck. He managed to fashion a tourniquet for himself. He was forced to use his remaining weak hand (his right hand) to pull himself onto the truck.

In April 2024, a horrible Hamas-issued propaganda video showed him alive, confirming he had survived the initial trauma.

When his body was recovered from a tunnel in Rafah on August 31, 2024, forensic evidence indicated he had used his remaining right hand to shield himself during his execution.

A bullet went through his right hand—his only remaining hand—before entering his shoulder and neck.

By the time of his death, Hersch, who was nearly 6 feet tall, weighed only 115 pounds due to severe malnutrition.

Carmel Gat

On Oct 7th, Carmel’s mother, 67-year-old Kinneret, could be seen staring down a terrorist and sticking her tongue out at him in a daring act of defiance in a released video from that day.

An hour later, Hamas executed Kinneret in the street, along with five others. They took Carmel hostage, and she passed the body of her dead mother on the way into Gaza.

There are more videos coming to light. Here is a link to a video Hamas did not want you to see the horror and despair of Carmel.

Almog Sarusi

Almog was at the Nova party with his girlfriend, Shahar Gindi, a psychology student at Ariel University. Shahar’s body was later found.

While in captivity, hostages were tortured both physically and psychologically. Almog, along with others, was used in a propaganda video to torment the families of hostages and the Israeli population into blaming their own government more than the actual perpetrators of this evil: Hamas.

Almog Sarusi

Alexander Lobanov

Born in Russia, Alex, a bartender and business owner, was working as the head barman at the desert party when he was kidnapped. He told his wife that morning that he was trying to run and hide in the nearby forest from the terrorists attacking the festival. That was the last she ever heard from him.

His wife delivered a baby while he was still alive in captivity, so he was killed before meeting his second child.

Eden Yerushalmi

Eden was a bartender at the Nova festival, filled with joy and a love of life. Eden’s last words to her family were, “Shani, they’ve caught me.”

The phrase “Ta’ala,” meaning “[Allah], the Most High,” could be heard in the background before the phone conversation ended.

The body of Eden Yerushalmi weighed a mere 79 pounds – 22 pounds less than before her abduction. This alarming weight loss paints a grim picture of the conditions endured by the 101 hostages still in captivity at the time of her death.

Ori Danino

The story of one hero, Ori Danino, told by hostage survivor, Eliyah Cohen:

Released hostage Eliya Cohen fulfilled a solemn promise made to his fellow captive Ori Danino. The promise, made during their shared captivity before Danino’s death, culminated in the dedication of a Torah scroll bearing Danino’s poignant words: “I want to be good enough for the world to be the person I would want to spend time with.”

“We sat there, each of us telling our story,” Cohen recounted at the ceremony. On October 7, though he initially managed to escape from the Nova music festival, Danino made the selfless decision to return when he heard calls for help. This act of bravery led to his capture while attempting to save Maya and Itay Regev, along with Omer Shem Tov. “He told me, ‘Eliya, I left the party and managed to escape. Someone I didn’t know called me for help. Nothing mattered to me. I went there to save them, not knowing if I would return.’”

Cohen described Danino’s remarkable resilience despite serious injury. “He was incredibly strong. He had a bullet in his shoulder. When I reached the tunnel, he asked me to sit beside him. We became really good friends. I love you, and it’s an honor for me to tell you these things,” Cohen said to Danino’s family.

According to Cohen’s testimony, Danino was remarkably courageous, confronting one of his captors physically, causing significant injury.

“Ori Danino punched the terrorist who kidnapped him, breaking his skull and causing him to lose his sight,” Cohen revealed. “In the first few days, Ori physically fought with the terrorists so that they would treat the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose hand was blown off during the kidnapping. Thanks to his struggle, the wound was closed. The terrorists were afraid of him.”

Danino was executed by Hamas, along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, just days before they were found by the IDF in Gaza and recovered to Israel. Danino was buried on September 1, 2024, in Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem.

Cohen was released in a hostage exchange deal on February 22, 2025.

Let’s make one thing very clear:

ALL HAMAS EVER HAD TO DO WAS TO RELEASE THE HOSTAGES—OR NEVER TAKE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

HAMAS IS TO BLAME FOR THE WAR, NOT ISRAEL. NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

At the same time as my heart is filled with sorrow, I am conscious that the darker the world grows, the more those who shine with light will be hated.

When I saw the candles burning in that dark tunnel, when I heard their singing, I thought of this Bible verse:

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. ~ John 3:19-21

For those of us who celebrate Hannukah and Christmas, let us lift our voices to the heavens in prayers for the families of all who have suffered and died in this war, and in all wars across this world.

No matter how much hatred the agents of darkness spew, no matter how many threats they throw, no matter what evil deeds they do, let us be shining lights in the darkness.

Tell these stories to your children so they are not forgotten! This is one of the most important things we can do. Yes, read your children books, but also tell them stories, real stories of courage that will enter their spirits and make them strong, too.