Former hostage Alon Ohel performs song to honor Oct. 7 victims at New York Fourth of July event

Alon Ohel was a musician prior to October 7 and has reignited his love for piano after 737 days in Hamas captivity, performing original songs, often with lyrics about his experience in the war.

Former Israeli hostage Alon Ohel at the Muni Expo 2026 conference in Tel Aviv, on June 24, 2026.

(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

ByHANNAH BROWN

JULY 5, 2026 14:43

Updated: JULY 5, 2026 15:12

Freed hostage Alon Ohel, held more than two years by Hamas, took part in a July 4 celebration of freedom marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

Ohel, a pianist, accompanied musician John Ondrasik, known as Five for Fighting, on the USS Nimitz nuclear supercarrier in New York Harbor.

They performed the hit song Superman before senior military officers and officials including the US ambassador to the United Nations.

The lyrics include the lines Even heroes have the right to bleed and Even heroes have the right to dream. Ondrasik, a vocal supporter of Israel, created a new recording of the song to honor Hamas hostages. The track had earlier served as a tribute after the 9/11 attacks.

Ohel appeared relaxed during the show, yet a paperwork error almost blocked his US entry. Government records still listed him as a hostage, requiring intervention by the Israeli consulate, Ynet reported. Another former hostage, Liri Albag, encountered a similar problem in New York more than a year earlier.

Ohel was severely injured while held hostage in Gaza

Ohel, who planned to pursue further music studies, was abducted on October 7, 2023 and freed on October 13, 2025 after 737 days in captivity. He sustained serious untreated wounds during the kidnapping and was chained by the leg for long periods in a tunnel. Concerns over eye damage prompted several surgeries after his return.

His family launched a public campaign using the slogan Alon You Are Not Alone, which appeared on pianos in Israel and abroad.

In February 2026 Ohel sang Yesh Li Sikui by Eviatar Banai at a rehabilitation fundraiser and dedicated the performance to fellow former hostage Eli Sharabi. The two men formed a close bond in Gaza and each credited the other with helping him survive.