Brief
Baby who survived Oct. 7 attack returns to Kibbutz Nirim on third birthday
Kai Labban, the ten‑day‑old infant who survived the Oct. 7 Hamas raid, marked his third birthday at the kibbutz where his family was attacked.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Oct. 3, 2026, Kai Labban turned three years old at Kibbutz Nirim, the Israeli community near the Gaza border where his family endured the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas assault.
When Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023, they set fire to homes and fired on residents. Aimee and Uriel Labban placed their ten‑day‑old son in a safe‑room windowsill crevice to protect him from smoke. The family fought the attackers for nine hours before Israeli Defense Forces rescued them, moving them to an underground bunker and then a hospital where they were treated for severe smoke inhalation. Kai developed blood poisoning and required an oxygen tank for three days.
The image of Kai in the windowsill went viral, turning the infant into an international symbol of hope and survival. Aimee Labban said, “Even at 10 days old, he was a fighter,” and added, “We just tried to keep him alive.” She recalled sharing the photo with family abroad, who then sent it to the media.
Three years later, the Labban family celebrated Kai’s birthday inside the kibbutz that was attacked. The celebration marked the near‑three‑year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre that killed about 1,200 people. Aimee, now 33, told the New Post, “To me, it wasn’t his time. We knew he had other business to attend to.”
Key facts
- Kai Labban was ten days old when Hamas militants attacked Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7, 2023. (nypost.com)
- The family hid the infant in a safe‑room windowsill and were rescued after nine hours. (nypost.com)
- Kai developed blood poisoning and needed an oxygen tank for three days after the attack. (nypost.com)
- The photo of Kai in the windowsill became an international symbol of hope. (nypost.com)
- Kai celebrated his third birthday at Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 3, 2026. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Exclusive | Baby who became symbol of Oct. 7 terror returns home to Israeli kibbutz”
