Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen, who are planning to marry soon, can barely express their excitement in words. Sasha missed his good friends Ariel and David Cunio and Rom Braslavski, with whom he had spent three days in Gaza. Sapir stayed in captivity with Eitan Horn, who closed his eyes most of the time because he was unable to look at his new reality. She met David Cunio in the tunnels and convinced him to write an optimistic letter to his wife, Sharon, to strengthen her.
"We are so excited," they say. "This feeling is so powerful that it's hard to explain in words. After long months of uncertainty and pain, the knowledge that they are here fills the collective heart with relief. We think a lot about the families, about the first moments of the encounter, about the tears, about the first breath of quiet. This is deep joy, but also cautious, from understanding that their path is still long."
From your experience, what period awaits them now?
"The return from captivity is a new beginning, not a return to routine. This period requires adjustment to a different reality, both internally and externally. After such a long time of survival, the body and soul need to learn again how to live, how to sleep, how to eat, and how to trust. The families, too, will need to learn this new rhythm, to understand when to approach and when to give space. This involves a long, delicate process, where every small day is an achievement in itself.
"We wish the hostages that first of all they find quiet. That they listen to themselves, and don't rush to 'be okay.' They should surround themselves with people who can contain and listen, and not ask or dig too much. They should remember that every emotion, even anger or confusion, is part of true healing. We wish them to return to life at their own pace, and not at anyone else's pace."
Amit Soussana, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, became one of the best-known captivity survivors, following a viral video showing how she fought tirelessly against the numerous terrorists who kidnapped her. She was also the first to direct a glaring spotlight at the sexual harassment the female captives experienced in captivity, and openly told about the sexual assaults and the physical and verbal violence she experienced from Hamas terrorists. Amit recounted her harrowing story also to the global media, at the White House, and before the UN Security Council.
"When I heard the rain, I remembered the second day of my kidnapping in Gaza. Suddenly, a crazy flood. Then, rain came after the fires, after the chaos, amid all the fear we felt. That rain wasn't comforting; it only emphasized how much everything was destroyed around us. This time it looks different. It wasn't a rain of pain, but a rain of blessing. Of something new and clean in the air. Of hope. How long have we not felt hope?"
How do hostages who arrive home after a long period feel?
"In the days I returned home, after a long period of darkness, I understood that I am safe and protected among the people who love me. I was moved to see the entire country mobilizing for the hostages' return. What happiness to see how the streets are filled with genuine joy.
"I was also happy to see Gali and Ziv Berman, my neighbors, returning home. I don't stop thinking about what they went through, whether they truly believe it's real, and that they're in Israel. When I saw the hug they received, I remembered the hug I received from the entire nation when I returned. That gave me the strength to start over. I know that the hug and love will also strengthen them and help them begin to rehabilitate."
Amit finds it important to add words of support also to the security forces and soldiers: "They fought so this moment would happen. They risked their lives to protect all of us. I share in the deep sorrow of the families who lost their loved ones. All our hearts are with you. I understand the difficulty and feel the pain of the bereaved families, who are forced to see those who harmed their loved ones released from prison. We will not forget and will not forgive."
Omer Shem Tov, kidnapped from the Nova Festival, a friend of Mia and Itay Regev, who were also kidnapped, was held in captivity alone most of the time. He returned to Israel emaciated, having shed 17 kilograms (37 pounds) of his weight. One of the memorable scenes from Hamas' cruel release performances is of Omer, who was forced to wave goodbye to the Gazan crowd and kiss the head of one of the guards.
"I am so excited," he says. "Since the ceasefire agreement, I haven't managed to rest, and I'm constantly moving. I returned to that moment when I was in the tunnel and heard I was returning home. I was so happy, but I reminded myself that until I'm home, I'm not home. With all the joy and all the happiness, I must say it's not over yet, and we need to continue praying. We'll send energy and continue fighting until the deceased hostages are also returned to Israel.
"I imagined the whole time how they would arrive and see their officer, how they would be given a first real hug. I imagined until the last moment how they would board the minibus, cross the border, arrive at Base Re'im, and receive that small room, where they can finally shower, wear clothes from their closet, and then see their parents again. How much happiness. They don't understand at all how much light they will bring to this nation again. I'm waiting for us all to recover and become a united nation."
"I thank the security forces and soldiers who did everything to return us home. I ask forgiveness from the bereaved families. Forgiveness from the bottom of my heart. I thank you for your sacrifice. Because of you, so many hostages are here."
Louie Har, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak together with his partner Clara Marman, her brother Fernando Marman, her sister Gabriela Leimberg, Gabriela's daughter, Mia, and the dog, Bella. On October 7, Clara hosted a gathering at her home in Nir Yitzhak, attended by her family members and Louie. The terrorists broke through the safe room door and dragged the five outside. Initially, Louie was held in Khan Younis, and later he was transferred to Rafah, from where he was rescued.
After the release of Clara, Gabriela, and Mia on day 53, he and Fernando remained alone, occupying themselves with fantasies about food, about flights abroad, and about release from captivity. The rescue operation was quick. The fighters burst into the house, eliminated the terrorists, took him and Fernando, brought them down from the building with a rope, and ran with them toward a truck, and from there to a helicopter that flew them to Israel.
"I almost don't sleep at night, but now there's a good reason," he says with the optimism that characterizes him. "The release threw us into a whirlwind of emotions. At first we didn't know if it would really happen, and I told myself that until I don't see them here – I don't believe it and don't develop expectations, so as not to be disappointed. As time passed, I realized they were returning, and I've been in hyper-excitement ever since. After two years, they're home, and I still don't know how to process the emotions."
"In captivity, I had a lot of hope and faith that I would get out, but if I had stayed the entire period, perhaps I would be in a completely different state. Perhaps I wouldn't have stayed so strong, and at some point, I probably would have given up and raised my hands. For a certain period, my body still managed to hold itself together, but toward the end of my captivity, I already started feeling unwell, because the medications I needed weren't with me."
"I wish them that they'll be well, that they'll be able to rehabilitate and continue forward alongside their families. This will not be a simple period. I hope they'll emerge from this difficulty quickly, but the trauma remains for life. One needs to learn to live with it. I can suddenly burst into tears, or I'm shaking all over. A loud noise causes me distress, and my body contracts. Each time I tell myself, 'you're strong, you can overcome.'
"I make a point of filling my life with positive actions, like, for example, returning to dancing. I also established the 'Hope Display' in Hostages Square, featuring letters made of colorful cubes, and added drawings received from children. Children who come to the square can also draw there freely and express their opinions.
"Now I have a mission, and I'm engaged in advocacy in Israel and abroad. I speak about what I went through, and it gives me healing. I don't have a prepared lecture; I say what comes out, and sometimes the audience's questions bring back a memory I had forgotten. The best advice I can give to everyone who returned from captivity is that it's important to remain optimistic."
Eli Sharabi was kidnapped from his home in Be'eri. His wife, Lian, and their two daughters, Noya and Yael, were murdered by the terrorists. His brother, Yossi, was also kidnapped from Be'eri, and was killed in January 2024, apparently due to IDF bombings. Yossi was returned to Israel this week as part of the ceasefire.
Everyone is impressed by Eli's unusual mental resilience, who lost his family and his brother and survived in captivity under conditions hard to digest. He was beaten violently, shackled in iron chains, and suffered from extreme hunger and terrible sanitary conditions. His release was like a kick in the stomach, after he shed many kilograms in captivity, and his appearance reminded everyone of the appearance of Jews after the Holocaust. Sharabi, who is currently engaged in advocacy and lectures, spent most of his time in captivity with hostage Alon Ohel, and since then, he has served as a vocal voice for his release. This week, his wish came true.
How do you feel with the return of Alon and the other hostages?
"Personally, I'm in mixed emotions. For our family, the ending is difficult, because we received our brother Yossi of blessed memory in a coffin. With that, we're happy about the return of all the hostages, and from here we can begin the recovery process from the trauma of October 7."
What period awaits the released hostages after two years?
"A long period of physical and mental recovery will await them, when they're wrapped in a lot of love from their loved ones. I wish them to return to life and concentrate on what makes them smile."
Ofelia Roitman, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz alone, since her husband, Hector, was in rehabilitation after breaking his pelvis. On the morning of October 7, she stayed in the safe room. The terrorists opened the door, fired nine bullets inside, and hit her hand. She was transported to Gaza on a tractor, stayed initially in a tunnel, and was later transferred to a house in Khan Younis, from whose ground floor rockets were fired at Israel. The struggle for her release reached Argentina thanks to her nephew, Hernan Feler, a Jewish-Argentine soccer broadcaster who, during the World Cup qualifiers, demanded to free the hostages, among them his aunt.
"The hostages' return is proof that captivity cannot break the human spirit," she says in a heavy Argentine accent. "I know what superhuman forces are required to survive the abyss.
"Their return is the hope that fills us, and it's the foundation for the long rehabilitation that stands before them and before the families. The mission has still not been completed. So that all of us, captivity survivors, can truly turn to real rehabilitation, we also need all the deceased to return home. Then we'll truly be able to emerge from darkness to light. Meanwhile, the body is released, but the soul still isn't. This is the beginning of rehabilitation and learning anew."
What will the hostages deal with?
"The hostages face a period when they'll need to understand that they're no longer anonymous, and everyone knows them. They won't always want this. The world outside is running, but you'll need to walk slowly. Don't resist it. Take your time. It's like watching a movie with so many details that it's hard to take in everything. It takes years, and perhaps you'll never succeed. Don't expect to jump back to the life you had, because that's no longer the same life. You've changed, the family, the home, the country. You'll need to learn to know them anew.
"The most important thing I can say is that you're not alone. Inside the confusion and trauma, there are people who can help, and there's family. Enjoy the small moments of life, like a hug, like talking, singing. The power to choose, the taste of a good slice of bread, fruit, or a cup of coffee. Enjoy opening a refrigerator and the smell of home. In the end, everything will be good."
Emily Damari was kidnapped on October 7 from her home in the Dor Tsair neighborhood in Kfar Aza, after being shot in her hand and leg, and her dog was killed. As a result of the shooting, two of her fingers were amputated, and during captivity, she underwent complex surgery without anesthesia. Hamas terrorists called her "heroine" (saj'aya).
"Today, when Ziv and Gali (Berman) returned together with all the living hostages after 738 days of prayers and longing, I feel that my heart is finally whole again," she says. "Since I returned from Hamas captivity, every day I felt how part of me remained there. It's a strange feeling. The body breathes, but I'm not really living. Today, when I see the other hostages again in Israel, breathing, smiling, free – I feel that I too was released. After 471 days in the darkest captivity, I know today more than ever what the meaning of light, of freedom, and of life itself.
"Since I returned to Israel, I tried to return to routine, to do the things I love, and mainly to be surrounded by friends and family. I attended the Maccabi games, trying to get excited and shout along with everyone, but it just wasn't the same without my good friends from the stands, Ziv and Gali. Even when Maccabi took the championship, I felt a sense of emptiness, because no victory is complete when not everyone is here with us. Today, when my heart is again whole, even the small victories of life receive a different meaning.
"Although I'm missing two fingers, they remind me every day how precious life is, and that one can feel whole even when parts of you are missing. And if I learned something, it's that true wholeness isn't in the body, but in the soul.
"Alongside the rehabilitation we'll undergo here together, we must not forget that still the murderous terror organization Hamas holds the deceased hostages in captivity, in complete violation of the agreement. Their families and the entire nation deserve to see them returning home, for burial in Israel and eternal rest, today.
"We also need to remember that we owe our lives to those who fell in defense of the homeland, so we could return here. To the bereaved families, to the wounded in body and soul, to those serving compulsory duty, career, and reserves – thanks to them, the State of Israel stands today on its feet. We owe them our breath of freedom, the right to love, laugh, and dream again. This is a moral debt that has no expiration date – a debt of an entire nation to heroes who gave everything for all of us.
"And now, when the world looks at us through a magnifying glass, this is our moment, the people of Israel, to raise the flag with pride. Not from hatred, but from faith, unity, and love for who we are. This nation knew difficult days, but never surrendered – and will never surrender. We'll continue to live, remember, and love. Because that's our victory – of all of us."
The pictures of Yagil Yaakov, who was only 13 when kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, were burned into the national consciousness of the October 7 massacre. A small child, frightened, who was led against his will to the Gaza Strip when surrounded by armed terrorists from the Islamic Jihad, and begging them: "Don't take me, I'm too small."
In November 2023, he was released after 52 days in captivity. His father, Yair, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while holding the safe room door and was kidnapped together with his partner, Meirav Tal, who was also released in the first phase.
Today, Yagil finally feels relief. "From now on, every time I enter the shower or eat something, I won't feel guilt anymore about doing something they cannot," he says. "Today, the only guilt I have is that I merited to bury my father, and the families of the deceased who remain still haven't.
"In the first days, the hostages will be on crazy adrenaline. A feeling of victory. This is really a return to a different and changed life. Personally, when I returned, the only thing that was hard for me was that I left my father behind, and that I wouldn't have a home to return to. The hostages who returned won't have to go through this experience like I did. I wish the hostages that they'll experience life, and that from now on they'll only be happy and utilize every small moment with family."
