Ditza Heiman
Freed November 28, 2023
Ditza Heiman, an 84-year-old mother of four, stepmother of three, grandmother to 20 and great-grandmother of five, lived alone on Kibbutz Nir Oz when she was taken captive by Hamas terrorists from her home's safe room on October 7. Ditza is deeply integrated into the fabric of her extended family, treating her stepchildren as her own and being cherished as a grandmother figure within the family.
Amichai Shdaimah, Ditza's stepson, highlighted the close familial bonds, emphasizing how Ditza has been a significant part of their lives, especially after the passing of his father, who had married Ditza 35 years prior. The family's connection to Ditza remained unbroken, with visits to Israel always including time spent with her.
The day of the attack, Ditza had been in touch with her family members in Israel, reassuring them of her safety until communications were abruptly cut off. The family's worst fears were confirmed when an Arabic-speaking individual answered Ditza's phone later that day, indicating her capture. This chilling development was compounded when neighbors recounted their last sightings of Ditza, including a neighbor who narrowly escaped death by retreating upon seeing her surrounded by terrorists.
The family's agonizing uncertainty was somewhat alleviated when a video surfaced on social media, showing Ditza being led to a car, providing evidence that she had been taken alive. This video, while distressing, offered a glimmer of hope to the family and was pivotal in having Ditza officially recognized as a captive.
Ditza's son, Gideon Heiman, revealed the dire conditions of his mother's captivity upon her release on November 28, emphasizing the absence of medical care and the severe environment she endured. Gideon's statement, "The conditions were bad, such that even a young person would not be certain to survive, neither physically nor mentally," underscores the extreme hardship Ditza faced, making her survival and release all the more remarkable given her advanced age.