Gaya, the sister of captivity survivor Guy Gilboa-Dalal, prepared chocolate balls for him when she learned he was coming home. As Guy ate them in the car, his facial expression was impossible to miss – a broad smile and an authentic sense of joy. His family published the video showing him tasting his first chocolate ball since his release, following two years of hunger and deprivation in Hamas captivity.
Video: Guy Gilboa-Dalal eats chocolate / Credit: Courtesy
A crowdfunding campaign has simultaneously launched to finance his rehabilitation. The campaign page explains: "Guy was held in Hamas captivity in Gaza tunnels for two years – without sunlight, under physical and psychological torture, starved, beaten, and humiliated. Now, as he returns home, a lengthy road of healing, rehabilitation, and relearning life begins for him. Following the physical and psychological damage from captivity, his family fought day and night for his release."
The family described how Gal, Guy's brother and himself a Nova festival survivor, fought through every available means to bring him back: "His sister and parents devoted all their time, strength, and resources to this struggle. Now, as he begins the rehabilitation process, the entire family confronts enormous psychological and financial difficulty. They are courageous and determined – but they cannot do this alone. Your donation will enable Guy and his family to receive medical and psychological treatment, daily assistance, and a genuine opportunity to start fresh."
Guy is hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital alongside his close friend Evyatar David, who was kidnapped with him. During captivity, the two were together, but approximately one month before the release, they were separated, when Guy was taken to serve as a human shield by the terrorists. Since then, they had not met – until the emotional moment at the hospital.
Guy's brother explained that after two years disconnected from the world, he was astonished by technological advancement: "I showed him a video created with artificial intelligence, and he was in shock. He knew the concept 'artificial intelligence,' but did not believe how far it had advanced – he genuinely did not believe there were such applications."
