Celine Ben David Nagar, a 32-year-old administrative assistant at a law firm in Israel, was on her way to the Nova music festival with two friends when they heard rockets and decided to turn back. They hid in a public bomb shelter near Sderot, and at 7:11 am, Celine sent a final message to her husband, Ido, saying “Soldiers are coming. God, it was a mistake to come here.”
Ido rushed south to the site on Saturday, but the military would not let him pass. On Sunday morning, he found Celine’s car, which was pockmarked with bullet holes but otherwise left as she had parked it. Later, he encountered a survivor of the attack whom a group of Hamas militants had thrown grenades into the shelter, killing Celine’s two friends but leaving her unknown.
Ido has spent the last six days searching for answers and fighting to raise awareness about the plight of Celine and the roughly 150 other hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. Celine is a French-Israeli citizen who grew up in France and gave birth to Ellie, the couple’s six-month-old baby daughter.
The community has come together to support Ido, with friends and relatives delivering food and milk to feed Ellie, whom Celine was breastfeeding, and help take care of her. Ido is in a WhatsApp group with other relatives where they can share information, but little is known about the location or condition of the hostages.
Hamas has threatened to kill the hostages if Israel bombs residential areas without notice. For Ido and the hundreds of other family members, it is a nightmare that they cannot escape. Ido has tried to remain optimistic and keep positive thoughts in his mind but has struggled with the uncertainty and helplessness of the past week. Though a difficult time, Ido hopes that Celine is alive and being strong for the other children with her
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