Doron Steinbrecher released from Hamas captivity: She blocked the door and hid under the bed

Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinarian and nurse from Kfar Gaza, is one of the three hostages to be released today (Sunday) as part of the first phase of the hostage deal. She was abducted from her apartment in the young neighborhood of Kibbutz on Oct. 7, after trying to defend herself from the terrorists.

Michael Mayo, Doron's cousin, spoke on the "Bachatzi Hayom" program on Kan Reshet B: "Doron is coming back to us! Doron – I’m speaking to you on behalf of Mom and Dad. We’ll do anything you need. Sorry it took so long. How good it is that you’re coming home. We are a family of Holocaust survivors. We read difficult reports and were very concerned about your fate."

"Our story of long recovery is just beginning. There’s a big family to rebuild. We are part of a network of 98 families, and we are all one family. Until we see Doron in Israel and hold her in our hands, everything is very sensitive. I’m also very scared of that moment."

From the moment of the invasion of the kibbutz in the early hours of the morning, Doron kept in constant contact with her family and friends.

In a conversation with her sister, Yamit, she said she was hiding under the bed, blocking her door with an armchair and a refrigerator. The last message from her was received at 10:31 a.m. when she recorded to her friends: "They caught me, they caught me." In the background, the terrorists' shouts in Arabic could be heard.

During her 110 days in captivity, her mother, Simona, met with Red Cross representatives to try to send her daughter essential chronic medication she takes daily.

On January 26, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Doron along with hostages Daniela Galbo and Karina Ariev.

Doron’s family, her parents now living in a caravan in Shfayim and her sister with her husband in Kibbutz Ruhama, waited 471 days for her return. On March 18, she marked her 31st birthday in captivity.