Former Hamas captive Eliya Cohen, who was released in a deal in February, spoke Tuesday evening at the Israeli-American Council (IAC) gala event in New York, addressing the moment of his release and the painful separation from Alon Ohel, who remains in Hamas tunnels.
"I was released from Hamas on February 22, 2025," Eliya said. "But when I left, I was separated from Alon, who is still in the tunnels of Hamas. We're used to seeing Alon in photos and posters. It's hard to understand how brilliant this guy is. Alon is one of the coolest people I've ever met. One of the kindest people I've ever met. He's an exceptional pianist. He played in his brilliant mind some of the music and melodies he loves so much."
Besides Alon, Eliya was held in the tunnels with Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who were also released in the deal. He shared the moment they were separated from Alon, "When I said goodbye, Alon was terrified and crying. I told him everything is going to be okay and that he would be released within a few days. I truly believed it. I believed the second phase of the deal would come quickly. But I was wrong. That day, I talked to Alon, told him to be strong and promised him, 'Until we meet again in Israel, it's not over,' and now Alon is alone in the dark. We cannot forget Alon. We must bring him home to his beautiful family, who can't wait to hug him again."
Video: Former hostage Eliya Cohen speaks in New York
Earlier this week, Eliya marched alongside other former captives in the annual support parade for Israel in New York. In the midst of the parade's celebration, Eliya called on Israel's political and diplomatic leadership to bring back Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped like him from the "death shelter" and held with him in captivity.
