Further details of the heroism of Ori Danino, H’yd, who saved a number of people’s lives, including Omer Shem Tov, before being abducted to Gaza, were revealed by Eliya Cohen, one of the hostages released on Shabbos.

Ori, z’l, was one of the six hostages brutally murdered in a Hamas tunnel in September 2024.

Ori’s father, Rabbi Elchanan Danino, told Yisrael Hayom: “Eliya told us that Ori wasn’t abducted in a normal way. The terrorists shot at their vehicle and Ori managed to jump out of the car and hide in some bushes.”

“Afterward, the terrorists asked, ‘Where is the driver, where is the driver?’ The terrorist who found Ori received a punch from him that shattered his skull, causing the terrorist to lose his eysight.”

Ori’s father continued: “Eliya told us that the whole time they were in the tunnels, the Hamas terrorists were frantically searching for the one who blinded the terrorist. Ori later told Eliya about the punch he gave the terrorist. The Hamas terrorists didn’t know it was him.”

“Even on the way to Gaza, Ori didn’t give up, fighting with the terrorists physically. He had physical confrontations with the terrorists during the first three days after October 7 to ensure they took care of Hersh Goldberg Polin, H’yd, whose lower arm was blown off during the abduction. Thanks to Ori, they closed his wound, which had been bleeding the entire time.”

“Ori didn’t see weapons in front of his eyes. The weapon did not pose a threat to him. He only saw terrorists in front of him. He was not afraid of dying. For him, the worst had already happened. Now it was about coping. He fought with the terrorists all the time. The terrorists brought him one or two dates – he demanded, ‘Bring the whole package,’ and he received it. When they asked him if he wanted tea or coffee – he said, ‘Bring both,’ and he got it.”

“Ori was very strict about kashrut and did not eat either meat or chicken. He was careful about saying Birchas Hamazon,” his father added.

“Ori was very sensitive to the other hostages,” his father continued. “He encouraged them, had conversations with them. He told his friends how much he admires his parents and misses them. I know Ori. We speak ‘Arabic’ also in character. I taught my children that with Arabs, one speaks only the language of power. Apparently, that’s how it went for him. He understood that in Gaza and with the terrorists, one speaks only with force.”

Ori’s father met with Jews from the Palm Beach shul in Florida this week who donated a Sefer Torah in Ori’s memory. “They committed to providing a large grant to each of the hostage’s families. They also agreed during that meeting to visit Omer Shem Tov and Eliyah Cohen at the hospital. Eliyah told the donors, ‘I have one request, I was in the tunnels with Ori and we made an agreement that whoever comes out alive from the cursed tunnels in Gaza will write a Sefer Torah for the other one.'”

“Ori loved the Torah very much. He used to donate his ma’aser each month to a bochur who learns  Torah. The donors decided that overnight they would take care of a Sefer Torah. We arrived at the hospital to meet the families of [freed hostages] Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, and Omer Shem Tov. We wrote the letters [in the Sefer Torah] together,” he concluded.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)