Moran Stella Yanai: Sister-in-law of Underbelly star taken hostage by Hamas for 54 days breaks her silence about what it was really like being held by terrorists in Gaza
The sister-in-law of Underbelly star Dan Mor has broken her silence after being held hostage by Hamas terrorists for 54 days where she feared she would be ‘raped and murdered’.
Moran Stella Yanai was kidnapped by the terrorist group as part of the October 7 horror attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and abducted another 250 and returned to Gaza.
The Israeli jewelry designer was among helpless revelers who attended the doomed Nova music festival at Kibbutz Re’im, where Palestinian gunmen β some on paragliders β murdered 364 civilians.
Ms. Yanai had set up a retail booth a few days before the rave and spent time putting together and designing the jewelry.
When the attack occurred, she frantically tried to escape through the desert where the festival was being held near Mount Negev, but broke her leg in the chaos.
Moran Stella Yanai (pictured) has broken her silence after being held hostage by Hamas for 54 days following the October 7 attacks in Israel
Her brother-in-law, Dan Mor, who starred in the award-winning Australian crime drama series Underbelly: The Golden Mile, previously revealed the family had spoken to her on the phone as she tried to flee the massacre.
They later discovered a clip posted to an anonymous TikTok account in which Ms Yanai begged for her life as Hamas terrorists shouted in the background.
Ultimately, her worst fears came true when about ten terrorists pulled her out from under a tree where she had been hiding.
Ms Yanai was then piled into a jeep and taken to Gaza, where she feared she would be ‘lynched’.
“Every minute you keep thinking that now they are going to kill you, now you are going to be raped,” Ms Yanai told police. Herald Sun.
The brave woman, who became the first hostage to travel to Australia on October 7, said yes is still coming to terms with the ordeal and that she feels “she’s still here.”
During her capture, Ms. Yanai was transferred to seven high-security locations, where she was watched day and night, had very little food and water, and had to ask permission to use the bathroom.
![Moran Stella Yanai: Sister-in-law of Underbelly star taken hostage by Hamas for 54 days breaks her silence about what it was really like being held by terrorists in Gaza 2 A viral TikTok video showed Ms Yanai pleading for her life (pictured) after she was found in a tree by Hamas terrorists, before being dragged away by the terrorists in a jeep to Gaza.](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1710862788_843_Moran-Stella-Yanai-Sister-in-law-of-Underbelly-star-taken-hostage-by.jpeg)
A viral TikTok video showed Ms Yanai pleading for her life (pictured) after she was found in a tree by Hamas terrorists, before being dragged away by the terrorists in a jeep to Gaza.
![Moran Stella Yanai: Sister-in-law of Underbelly star taken hostage by Hamas for 54 days breaks her silence about what it was really like being held by terrorists in Gaza 4 The Israeli jewelry designer was among helpless partygoers who attended the doomed Supernova music festival (pictured) near Kibbutz Re'im, where Palestinian gunmen β some on paragliders β murdered 364 civilians.](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1710862789_419_Moran-Stella-Yanai-Sister-in-law-of-Underbelly-star-taken-hostage-by.jpeg)
The Israeli jewelry designer was among helpless partygoers who attended the doomed Supernova music festival (pictured) near Kibbutz Re’im, where Palestinian gunmen β some on paragliders β murdered 364 civilians.
She described the first place she was held as a “living room,” where another hostage also lived, a traumatized 18-year-old girl who lost friends and family in the Oct. 7 attacks.
The pair only dared to whisper to each other because the terrorists said they would kill them if they spoke.
Once, at another location, Ms. Yanai was playing a card game with another hostage who was a terrorist threatened to ‘put a bullet in my head’.
“I would just think: Will it end like this, with me lying on the ground like an object?” said Mrs. Yanai.
While being moved from one safe house to another, Ms. Yanai was disguised as a grandmother so that locals did not become suspicious.
She said she managed to survive her horrific ordeal by refusing to give in to fear and thinking of her loved ones.
βThat’s the moment you imagine every day in captivity, that’s the only thing that helps you survive,β she said.
![Moran Stella Yanai: Sister-in-law of Underbelly star taken hostage by Hamas for 54 days breaks her silence about what it was really like being held by terrorists in Gaza 6 Dan Mor (pictured), Ms Yanai's brother-in-law, had previously revealed the family's desperate attempts to contact the jewelery designer during the massacre](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1710862792_760_Moran-Stella-Yanai-Sister-in-law-of-Underbelly-star-taken-hostage-by.jpeg)
Dan Mor (pictured), Ms Yanai’s brother-in-law, had previously revealed the family’s desperate attempts to contact the jewelery designer during the massacre
![Moran Stella Yanai: Sister-in-law of Underbelly star taken hostage by Hamas for 54 days breaks her silence about what it was really like being held by terrorists in Gaza 8 Ms Yanai (pictured) said she continued to think of her loved ones during her captivity, which she said helped her survive the horrific ordeal](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1710862794_950_Moran-Stella-Yanai-Sister-in-law-of-Underbelly-star-taken-hostage-by.jpeg)
Ms Yanai (pictured) said she continued to think of her loved ones during her captivity, which she said helped her survive the horrific ordeal
Ms Yanai was released 54 days after being taken hostage along with eight others.
However, Hamas still holds more than 134 hostages in Gaza.
Since the October 7 attacks, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a series of airstrikes and ground offensives in Gaza.
It is estimated that around 30,000 Palestinians have been killed as the war continues.