Former Gaza hostage Romi Gonen was caught in two sirens while driving without access to a protected space on Thursday, triggering an intense panic attack, Gonen shared on social media.
Gonen said the experience sent her “straight back” to the sense of powerlessness she felt in captivity, and that the incident led to what she described as her most severe anxiety attack since returning home, adding that she was alone at the time.
Gonen also urged the public to pay attention to people in distress during sirens and to offer help when possible.
“Notice the people outside who need help,” she wrote. “The siren caught me twice on the road, and it immediately threw me back into helplessness and uncontrollable fear.”
“Thank God there are good people who immediately stepped in to help me, and thanks to them I got through it,” she added. “First of all, thank you, angels. It moves me to think there are still people like you. There are many others like me out there who may need help. Go over to them, help them.”
Sirens revive captivity trauma for released hostages
The war with Iran has posed a complex challenge for returned hostages from Gaza. Like many trauma survivors, the stress caused by sirens, explosions, and the rush to reach shelter can flood them with memories of some of their most difficult moments.
Each person’s response is different, but the distress is widespread. For many former captives, ordinary wartime routines in Israel can trigger the psychological aftershocks of months in confinement.
About a week earlier, former hostage Luis Har told Walla that captivity would remain with survivors for life. “We will live with captivity for the rest of our lives,” he said, describing how sudden noises still startle him.
He said that only when awareness overrides instinct and emotion can survivors begin to move forward and remind themselves that they are now home in Israel. His remarks echoed the broader struggle many released hostages have described since returning.
A few days before that, former hostage Or Levy, whose wife Einav was murdered on October 7, said he had decided to fly to Thailand with his son Almog during Operation Rising Lion.
“I’m flying with a heavy heart, flying while there is war in Israel, but I truly cannot put Almog through another war, with more sirens and more explosions,” Levy wrote.
Since the fighting began, Levy said, he and his son had been sleeping in the safe room with the door shut. He said the experience was suffocating and reminded him of captivity, because the sound of the door closing was similar to what he remembered from Gaza.
Former Gaza hostage Romi Gonen was caught in two sirens while driving without access to a protected space on Thursday, triggering an intense panic attack, Gonen shared on social media.
Gonen said the experience sent her “straight back” to the sense of powerlessness she felt in captivity, and that the incident led to what she described as her most severe anxiety attack since returning home, adding that she was alone at the time.
Gonen also urged the public to pay attention to people in distress during alerts and to offer help when possible.
“Notice the people outside who need help,” she wrote. “The siren caught me twice on the road, and it immediately threw me back into helplessness and uncontrollable fear.”
“Thank God there are good people who immediately stepped in to help me, and thanks to them I got through it,” she added. “First of all, thank you, angels. It moves me to think there are still people like you. There are many others like me out there who may need help. Go over to them, help them.”
The war with Iran has posed a complex challenge for returned hostages from Gaza. Like many trauma survivors, the stress caused by sirens, explosions, and the rush to reach shelter can flood them with memories of some of their most difficult moments.
Each person’s response is different, but the distress is widespread. For many former captives, ordinary wartime routines in Israel can trigger the psychological aftershocks of months in confinement.
About a week earlier, former hostage Luis Har told Walla that captivity would remain with survivors for life. “We will live with captivity for the rest of our lives,” he said, describing how sudden noises still startle him.
He said that only when awareness overrides instinct and emotion can survivors begin to move forward and remind themselves that they are now home in Israel. His remarks echoed the broader struggle many released hostages have described since returning.
A few days before that, former hostage Or Levy, whose wife Einav was murdered on October 7, said he had decided to fly to Thailand with his son Almog during Operation Rising Lion.
“I’m flying with a heavy heart, flying while there is war in Israel, but I truly cannot put Almog through another war, with more sirens and more explosions,” Levy wrote.
Since the fighting began, Levy said, he and his son had been sleeping in the safe room with the door shut. He said the experience was suffocating and reminded him of captivity, because the sound of the door closing was similar to what he remembered from Gaza.
