Tel-Chai Nation: Ori Megidish's faith in God is what kept her alive

A lady soldier who'd been held hostage by Hamas and was rescued has spoken up about her experiences:

PVT. Ori Megidish, an IDF lookout who was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7 and rescued 23 days later by the IDF, met with donors from the US, recounting to them the most difficult moments of her life.

"There were a lot of loud noises, we woke up from them and all of the girls and we all ran for cover," Megidish said in the conversation, which was published on Channel 13 News. "We parted from our families on the phone and after some time we heard a lot of shouting and sounds of gunfire."

"There were soldiers in the bomb shelter who were protecting us with their weapons, but it wasn't enough. There were 20 female soldiers and just four weapons. I was injured by the grenades the terrorists threw - in my head, legs, and chest. There was a moment of quiet, and then they came in and fired into the shelter.

"Out of 20 girls, only seven survived the shooting, and I was one of them. Afterwards we waited there for another four hours. We didn't know where the army was, but we still waited for someone to come and save us. Nothing happened and then they just kidnapped us."

One of the donors wondered what gave Megidish strength during her time in captivity.

She responded, "I am a believer. I believe in G-d, I know that He exists. When I was kidnapped, I felt that He would save me. I prayed every day, not from a prayer book but from my heart. I felt my grandmother who passed away, my grandfather and my cousin. I held onto them and I believed that I would get out of there - if not through a deal, then I would be rescued. I had faith in my country and my army, and this gave me the strength to continue believing."

"I can't explain it, but I knew that they were coming that day, and I knew that they would not leave me there. I was very emotional when I saw them," she added.

Megidish also said that she wants to return to IDF service - as a response to her kidnapping.

"It is very important to me to show them that I am not going to give up. I am strong and I will soon return to the army. Twice a week I go to therapy, and I meet my friends often," she concluded.