"They wanted me to be afraid to return — and I returned": The new life of a former hostage in Nir Yitzhak
Two and a half years after being released from Hamas captivity, Clara Marman has returned to live in her home in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. She describes a gradual process of short visits, renovations, and readjustment, viewing her return home as a victory over the psychological warfare waged against her in captivity. Alongside the joy, she expresses concern about the normalization of threats from the Gaza Strip.
Two and a half years after being released from Hamas captivity, Clara Marman has returned to live in her home in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. The journey back was not immediate: it was built gradually through short visits, small repairs to the house, and renewed adaptation to the place from which she was kidnapped on October 7. Marman, who was released at the end of November 2023 as part of a hostage deal, says the longing for home was present throughout the period, but she was focused on the struggle to bring back her brother Fernando Marman and her partner Louis Har, who remained in captivity and were rescued in an IDF operation. She sees her return home as a victory over the psychological warfare waged against her in captivity, where she was repeatedly warned that she would not return to Nir Yitzhak. Alongside the joy, Marman expresses concern about the normalization of threats from the Gaza Strip, especially in light of the kite terror incidents in recent weeks. She calls on the state to find a solution that ensures Hamas does not control the Strip and cannot threaten the communities near the Gaza border, emphasizing that the residents of the Gaza border area need a different security reality.