The Children of October 7 features social media activist Montana Tucker interviewing a number of October 7 survivors one year after the terrorist attack.

The film comes with a trigger warning as it features footage originally filmed on October 7, 2023. 

The Children of October 7 is shorter than many October 7 documentaries, running close to 36 minutes with credits. Based on the closing credits, the film was locked around April 2, 2025, when 59 people were still being held hostage in Gaza. There were 37 children murdered in Israel on October 7 and another 36 were taken to Gaza. Two of those children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, were the youngest hostages–they were murdered in captivity.

Tucker traveled to Israel for the one-year anniversary of the attack and met with eight children who survived the attack: Ella, Yael I., Rotem, Yael Y., Eitan, Amit, Alona, and Yella. Most of children featured in The Children of October 7 were not taken hostage from their homes along the border with Gaza. However, one of them, Eitan, was held hostage in Gaza. Eitan’s sister, Yael, was initially taken hostage on October 7 with their mother and little sister–however, they fell off the vehicle they were riding and thankfully survived. Sadly, their father, Ohad, was murdered in Gaza and his body has been returned to Israel for proper burial.

I had to pause numerous times but that’s only because I was jotting down notes and wanted to write down a quote or the information on screen. Unless the film becomes terribly traumatic for you, you should be able to watch The Children of October 7 in one viewing. Again, it runs close to 36 minutes, shorter than many documentaries that are also more graphic in nature.

Eitan’s interview in The Children of October 7 offers personal testimony to his experiences in Gaza. He saw citizens yelling after crossing over the border into Gaza. Upon being asked if he was scared, he responded in the affirmative. He was relieved to be released after 52 days in captivity during the temporary ceasefire agreement…prior to Hamas breaking it.

When asked if he was hungry, Eitan responded, “I ate one pita bread a day and a cucumber.”

He was also very bored. Terrorists would show him videos of what was happening and they would not let him look away. While hostage in Gaza, he didn’t know if his dad was alive or not. Nor did he know that the rest of his family managed to escape. His family found out about Ohad was taken hostage when a soldier informed them. Eitan’s younger sister, Yael, mentions how the rest of the family survived and hid from terrorists.

Of the children that survived October 7, 100 lost one parent and over 20 children were left orphaned. Hundreds of children were injured and October 7 left many of them displaced from their homes. A number of children interviewed in The Children of October 7 are not unlike the other children survivors, losing one or both parents. It’s easy to understand why there was a trauma psychologist on set while interviews were being conducted. Again, we’re talking about the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. When asked, some of them mention how they are having trouble sleeping.

Alona and Yella stayed for 15 hours in their safe room. Their dad had taken his Glock with him and went outside. Unfortunately, he didn’t respond to their texts and that’s when we ultimately feared the worst had happened. You can’t help but get emotional when they get emotional talking about their favorite memories of their father.

The October 7 attack left Rotem orphaned. With everything going on, he didn’t even notice that he was shot until he tried to hide. When he did hide, he tried his best to not move. A year later, he’s living with his uncle and has a routine. Others, like Ella, are not okay–she was shaken by a power outage a few days before the interview was conducted.

Like the other October 7 documentaries, The Children of October 7 is essential viewing as it provides another perspective.

DIRECTOR: Asaf Becker
FEATURING: Montana Tucker

Paramount+ released The Children of October 7 on April 23, 2025. Grade: 5/5

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