Alon Ohel
Musician

Alon Ohel: A Journey of Music, Survival, and Recovery

Alon Ohel (born 2001) is a talented Israeli-Serbian pianist from the community of Lavon in northern Israel. Known to his family and friends as a tall, handsome, and vibrant young man who is always surrounded by people and music, Alon’s life is deeply rooted in his creative passions.

Early Life and Passion for Music

Growing up in Lavon with his parents, Idit and Kobi, and his siblings, Ronen and Inbar, Alon’s life centered around his art. A gifted musician, his family home always echoed with the sound of his piano—often accompanied by the family dog, Sandy, sitting next to him on the bench. After finishing high school in Misgav and completing his military service, Alon traveled internationally. He returned to Israel just a month and a half before October 2023, spending the Jewish holidays with his family before planning to take the next big step in his musical career.

Abduction from the "Shelter of Death"

On October 7, 2023, Alon attended the Supernova music festival. When the attacks began, he and his friends tried to flee but were forced to take cover in a roadside bomb shelter near the Re'im junction. This shelter, which his family later painfully referred to as the "shelter of death," was subjected to dozens of grenade attacks. Alon suffered head and shrapnel injuries during the assault before being violently kidnapped and taken into Gaza.

738 Days Deep Underground

Alon was held in Hamas captivity for 738 days, much of it spent in unbearable conditions at a depth of 50 meters underground. During this grueling two-year ordeal, he suffered severe physical toll, cruel treatment, and inadequate medical care for his injuries, resulting in the permanent loss of vision in his right eye.

Despite the darkness, Alon’s family shared that he sustained himself through an unyielding "will to live," keeping his spirit alive by holding onto memories, praying, and moving his fingers as if playing the piano. From deep in the tunnels, his family noted that Alon somehow felt the "enormous waves of love and prayers" sent by people from all over the world who advocated for him through the global "Alon You Are Not Alone" yellow piano campaign.

The Return Home and The Road to Healing

On October 13, 2025, the prayers of his family finally became a reality when Alon was freed and returned to the arms of his family. In their first public statement from Beilinson Hospital, his parents joyfully shared that "the biggest, most beautiful smile in the world returned to us." Reclaiming his identity as a musician almost immediately, one of Alon's very first actions upon arriving at the hospital was to sit down and play the piano.

According to his mother, Idit, Alon wanted the public to know that knowing people were fighting for him gave him the strength to survive.

The Long Road Ahead

Today, Alon is back in Israel and learning to live as a free man again. However, as his parents Idit and Kobi emphasize, his journey is not yet over. The physical and psychological abuse he survived has left him facing a long, difficult rehabilitation process involving multiple surgeries, physical therapies, and mental health support to heal his wounds and rebuild his life. Together with his management team and community, Alon's family continues to stand by him as he walks this new path of recovery, hope, and returning to his dreams.