Avinatan Or’s family receives first sign of life since he was taken hostage on Oct. 7

The family of Avinatan Or says it has received the first confirmation that the 32-year-old is alive, Hebrew media reports.

It is not immediately clear what the sign of life is or how it was obtained.

He is being held in central Gaza in difficult conditions, according to the Ynet news site.

Or, 32, was abducted from the Nova festival and separated from his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli soldiers in June 2024.

Later that day, a Hamas video of Or and Argamani was posted on Telegram, showing Argamani on an all-terrain vehicle, as she calls in fear, crying, “Don’t kill me!” reaching out her arms to Or, who is being marched away from her, surrounded by at least three terrorists.

Or who grew up in the West Bank settlement of Shilo, is an electrical engineer who works for Nvidia. Before his abduction, he lived in Tel Aviv, where he and Argamani were planning to move in together.