Former hostage Karina Ariev completes IDF service, five months after being freed from Gaza

Karina Ariev has completed her 3 years of service in the IDF after being freed from captivity in Gaza. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT VIA INSTAGRAM)

Surviving Hamas captivity, Karina Ariev completes her service in the IDF and honors her fallen comrades in an emotional Instagram post.

Former hostage Karina Ariev was discharged from the IDF after completing three years of service, according to a post from her Instagram on Monday.

She spoke about how she wished it had been different, referring to the IDF observers who were killed on October 7, "I wish everyone was here..."

Karina had returned to the IDF to finish her service after being taken captive by Hamas on October 7 from the Nahal Oz base.

On October 7, Ariev, who was taken hostage along with fellow IDF observers Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, and Liri Albag, was able to repel a grenade that the terrorists had hurled at her. During the terrorists’ massacre, she pretended she was dead. However, a terrorist began pulling her hand to ascertain whether she was alive.

After understanding that she was alive, the terrorists began handcuffing her and brought her to Gaza. “I survived for my family and for my friends so that I could tell their stories, fight for them together with their families, and commemorate them,” she wrote.

A photo Karina Ariev uploaded to sovial media from her time serving in the IDF. (credit: SCREENSHOT VIA INSTAGRAM)

“I was lucky to survive, and that’s not something to take for granted. I will do everything to be worthy of it.”

Within two weeks after their release from captivity, the five female observers who were held hostage by Hamas had asked to resume their IDF service.

However, Israeli media reported that the IDF said it was still too early and that the girls needed to rest and recuperate following their year and three months in captivity.

Since then, former hostage Liri Albag's father Eli announced that she will return to the IDF five months after she was released from Hamas captivity, he told Israeli media at the end of June.