Liri Elbag, who was abducted during the October 7 Hamas attack and held captive for 477 days, was detained for extended questioning upon her arrival in the United States on Sunday. Elbag, an IDF observer, was taken from the Nahal Oz base during the assault.
Elbag, who had arrived in the United States with friends for a planned vacation, was taken in for questioning after American authorities flagged her as still being listed as a captive hostage in their systems. She was detained for about an hour and released only after urgent intervention by Israeli officials.
The incident appears to have resulted from a delay in updating U.S. databases to reflect her release. Sources familiar with the matter said significant efforts were made to resolve the situation swiftly to avoid causing Elbag additional emotional distress.
On May 22, 2024, the Hostages’ Families Headquarters released a documentary detailing the abduction of five female IDF observers from the Nahal Oz base during the October 7 attack. The video captures the harrowing first moments following the kidnapping of soldiers Liri Elbag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy.
In the footage, the young women are seen handcuffed and visibly terrified. The Hamas terrorists yell at them, ordering them to sit and shouting, “Our brothers died because of you – we will shoot you all.” The video shows the terrorists pausing to pray while the bound women sit nearby. The scene then shifts to the women being led to a jeep, with heavy gunfire audible in the background. The video ends with the captives inside the vehicle as they are taken toward Gaza City.
Liri’s father, Eli Elbag, told N12: “She was still listed as abducted — they thought someone had entered using her identity. They took her phone but allowed her to make one call. She called me, then her mother, Shira, who quickly involved the IDF and many other parties.”
The Israeli Consulate in New York, which played a key role in securing Liri’s release from questioning, was closed for the U.S. Memorial Day weekend. However, N12 has learned that Consul General Ofir Akunis personally intervened to ensure she was granted entry into the United States before returning to Israel.
