A new documentary tells the story of the youngest survivors of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.
11-year-old Yael Idan said she “couldn’t breathe” as she saw her sister killed and her father taken hostage. She told her story in the new documentary “The Children of October 7.”
Rotam Mattias, another young survivor, said his mother died protecting him.
“They opened the door, shot fully automatic everywhere. They threw a grenade,” Mattias said. “It blew up. My dad screamed that he lost his arm. I didn’t see my dad fall over. But I knew my mom, I knew she was dead immediately.”
Yael and Rotam are just a few of several young survivors who shared their experiences with Montana Tucker. Self-described as a singer, dancer, actress and social media activist, Tucker was asked by an Israeli film company to interview the children who survived the Oct. 7 attack. Many of them had lost parents or their homes. Tucker said the children were interviewed a few days before the one-year commemoration of the terror attack, which left over 1,200 dead, including 37 children, and sparked the war in Gaza.
Hundreds more were taken hostage during the attack. One of the children Tucker interviewed, 12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi, was among those taken captive. He spent 52 days in Gaza before being released. His father Ohad Yahalomi was also kidnapped, and died in captivity. His body was returned by Hamas in February 2025.
Tucker said the interviews showed remarkable bravery and resilience.
“I was interviewing them and I’m having to look them in the eyes, and I said to myself ‘I can’t be the one to now break down. If they’re staying strong, I have to stay strong for them,'” Tucker recalled thinking.
Tucker said the project was part of her own long personal journey, rooted in multigenerational loss. Her grandparents are Holocaust survivors. Working on a Holocaust educational docuseries years before Oct. 7 and seeing the places where her family suffered “forever changed” her.
“The Children of October 7” will also leave a lasting impact, she said. She said she will remain devoted to the children she interviewed for the rest of her life.
She isn’t the only one looking towards the future. When Tucker asked Yael Idan what keeps her going, the 12-year-old said it’s her family that fuels her.
“I know that if we are not all family together, I know they want me to be happy and keep being strong,” Yael said.
“The Children of October 7” featuring Montana Tucker is streaming on Paramount+ on April 23.
