Ori Megidish, the first hostage who was rescued from captivity in Gaza, revealed on Channel 12’s program “Uvda”, which aired on Wednesday evening, the personal story behind the hardships of her captivity—and the faith that never left her for a moment.
"I had faith that God was by my side, watching over me and would get me out of there," Megidish said, adding that she repeatedly sought signs from above: "I would ask a question, like if I’m supposed to get out of here, let there be a boom. And then there was a boom. There were all sorts of signs."
On another occasion, she asked God to see a butterfly as a sign from heaven. "Suddenly, one of the captors pulled out a toy shaped like a very colorful butterfly. I started smiling, even though I had stitches in my face—I felt He was with me."
During her third Shabbat in captivity, IDF bombings struck the house where she was held. "The ceiling collapsed, the house was engulfed in flames. I didn’t even feel that I was injured." Only later did she realize she had a skull fracture. Megidish recalled that the doctors who treated her in captivity stitched her face without anesthesia. "It was pain you can’t describe," she recounted.
At the moment of her rescue, Megidish was asleep. "There’s gunfire outside, and when I realize something is happening, I go behind the fridge and crouch down. I shout in Hebrew, I don’t know why, but it was like I felt, I don’t know, that this was a rescue."
Standing before her was a soldier who looked like a local, with no identifying marks. "I was conflicted—thinking it could have been another kidnapping, at that level. It could have happened." As they began to drive away, Megidish heard the soldier speaking in Hebrew. "I remember exchanging glances with him, and I saw how excited he was."