Abigail Mor Edan was taken by Hamas covered in her father’s blood, but she survived

At just three years old, Abigail was taken by Hamas as an orphan covered in her father’s blood. She spent her fourth birthday as a hostage. Now, at five, she is the face of the fight to bring back the remaining 58 hostages.

Five-year-old Abigail Mor Edan looks like any other young girl her age now.

She dances and sings and goes to kindergarten.

But when a loud car goes by or there is a siren, little Abigail is taken back to the 51 harrowing days she spent in captivity after being taken by Hamas covered in her father Roee’s blood.

Abigail was one of 250 hostages taken from Israeli villages on October 7, 2023.

“Abigail is now five, she turned four as a hostage and an orphan,” her great aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali told the Sunday Telegraph.

Abigail with her great aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali who has been advocating for her release. Pic Supplied.

“If you saw her tomorrow you’d say she has energy, she dances, she sings, but when there is a loud noise, she reacts.

“She is a smart little girl, she knew exactly what happened.”

Abigail Mor Edan, who survived 51 days in Hamas captivity. Pic Supplied.

Ms Naftali is in Australia to share exactly what happened with the rest of the world in the hopes of seeing the remaining 58 hostages, of whom 21 are believed to still be alive, back to their families.

The New York native has written a book about Abigail’s survival which includes crawling out from under her father’s body after he was murdered by Hamas militants.

Her two siblings, Michael and Amalia, were stuck in a closet for 14 hours next to their mother’s dead body before being rescued.

“Their dad, a photojournalist, had gone out as he had done many times and their mother (Smadar) was putting them in their safe space and terrorists came in and murdered their mother,” Ms Naftali said.

“We didn’t know that Abigail had survived … For the first three or four days we believed she was murdered but she had crawled out from under her father’s body and was covered in her father’s blood.

Abigail with her siblings and her mum and dad. Her parents were murdered in the October 7 attack. Picture: Supplied.

“She went to the neighbour’s, then she went to another home where her father’s best friend lived … It’s a miracle this little kid is running in a kibbutz where there are 300 people with one mission, to murder, and she survives.”

Abigail was ultimately captured by the terrorists along with a family friend and her children before being released in November after a long journey of campaigning from her family.

She now lives with her aunt Leron Mor and her husband Zoli who have adopted the three Mor Edan children.

“I asked my family in Israel to send me a photo of her, I looked at this photo and I said I’m going to find a way to help you, I will bring you home,” Ms Naftali said of her campaign to see Abigail released.

Abigail with her two siblings, her aunt and uncle who have adopted them and their three biological children. Picture: Supplied.

“We spoke to Democrats, Republicans … anybody and everybody … We spent days and days doing this.”

She was ultimately released under a deal brokered by Joe Biden and the Qatari government but Ms Naftali has praised the Donald Trump administration for continuing to advocate for hostage release.

Ms Naftali has spent the past week speaking at schools and multi-faith events to bring attention to the plight of the remaining hostages.

She has not met any political leaders in Australia but said she will happily return to engage with anyone willing to bring light to the issue.

“We must focus on bringing home the hostages and when we do that we can move forward, Israel can move forward and the region can move forward,” she said.

“These were families who on October 6 you didn’t know but on October 7 became your families … we still have 58 people, 21 young men who we know are alive.”

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Originally published as Abigail Mor Edan was taken by Hamas covered in her father’s blood, but she survived