Broken bonds: Twin sisters’ separation reveals deep scars of October 7

Young children, particularly twins who share a unique emotional closeness, may suffer from nightmares, panic attacks, and long-term anxiety.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A new academic commentary has brought to light the psychological trauma suffered by young children abducted during the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, focusing on the case of 3-year-old identical twin girls who were forcibly separated in captivity.

Published in the peer-reviewed International Journal on Child Maltreatment, the article explores the emotional consequences of tearing apart close family bonds in wartime, especially those between twins, and calls for a global effort to prioritize psychological recovery alongside physical reunification.

Co-authors Prof. Ariel Knafo-Noam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Nancy L. Segal of California State University, Fullerton — an expert in twin studies — recount how the twins were abducted from their home in southern Israel and held separately for ten days.

Their reunion came only after their mother, who was also held hostage, recognized the cry of her missing daughter from another room.

“This is not just a story about trauma,” said Prof. Segal. “It’s a story about the rupture of the earliest, deepest relationships we form in life. When those bonds are torn apart—especially in violent, chaotic settings—it leaves deep emotional wounds.”

The commentary draws on decades of research in developmental psychology, trauma studies, and twin research to illustrate how such separation can have lasting cognitive, emotional, and behavioral consequences.

Young children, particularly twins who share a unique emotional closeness, may suffer from nightmares, panic attacks, and long-term anxiety. The trauma is heightened when their core relationships are disrupted under violent conditions.

“As researchers and as people, we were deeply affected by this story,” said Prof. Knafo-Noam. “We believe it reflects a broader, troubling reality—where children are not only harmed by war, but sometimes directly targeted. That should never be normalized.”

While the focus is on the twins’ case, the article situates their experience within the broader context of the war’s impact on children across the region.

In both Israel and Gaza, children have faced violence, displacement, and loss. The authors emphasize that family separation—whether through abduction, death, or logistical chaos—can amplify the long-term harm of war.

According to recent figures cited in the commentary, nearly 100 children in Israel are still forcibly separated from at least one parent. The twins’ father remains in captivity.

The authors urge child welfare organizations and humanitarian agencies to recognize family reunification as a psychological priority, not just a logistical goal.

“We must ensure that emotional support and psychological healing are seen as essential forms of aid—not secondary to food or shelter, but part of what it means to truly protect children,” said Segal.

In their conclusion, the authors argue that while this case involves identical twins, its implications extend to all children torn from their families by war.

They call for international recognition of the emotional suffering inflicted by child abduction and separation, and for the establishment of long-term systems to support recovery for affected children and their families.

Although the article focused on children, it also noted identical twin brothers, now 27, who were being held captive separately, according to the testimonies of other hostages.

They were referring to Gali and Ziv Berman, who were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the attack. They were kidnapped along with Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher and Amit Soussana, who were later released.

“Although it is impossible to know for sure that the twin separation is intentional, we assert that the damages of twin separation are a small but significant example of the cruelty to children by Hamas, the organization that brought devastation to an entire region, and call for prioritizing the reunification of children with their families,” the authors said.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.