On the morning of October 13, at 8:00 a.m. (Israeli Standard Time), the process of returning the 20 remaining living hostages home began. After 738 days in captivity, one of the country’s darkest and most painful chapters began to end.
Across Israel, people stopped what they were doing, as screens lit up all over the country. Families held yellow ribbons and photos of the hostages close to their hearts. Many cried, and others whispered the same prayer that they had said every night for the past 738 days, calling for the hostages to be brought home.
For the families, these weren’t just names on signs; rather, they were sons, brothers, dads, and friends. For the nation, they had become symbols of resilience, and on this morning, those symbols became people again.
From the Nova music festival, the party that turned from joy and excitement to horror and death on October 7, 2023, came several men who had been taken while trying to save others. Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23, worked as a security guard at the festival. He was captured alongside Evyatar David, 24, and his childhood friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, both of whom went to the festival to celebrate life. Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, a bartender known for his kindness, was also taken while trying to help other strangers escape. Segev Kalfon, 27, worked at his family’s bakery before being kidnapped at the festival. Elkana Bohbot, 36, stayed behind to aid those who were injured before being taken. Eitan Abraham Mor, 25, another Nova security guard, returned with them as well. Avinatan Or, 32, whose long-awaited reunion with his girlfriend, previously released hostage Noa Argamani, moved the nation to tears, showing that love can conquer all. Maxim Herkin, 37, recognized for his love of nature and music, was also among them. Together they represented the young people of Israel, ordinary people whose day of music and freedom turned into a fight for survival.
From the kibbutzim near the Gaza border came others whose lives were broken that same morning. Brothers David and Ariel Cunio, 35 and 28, were taken from their homes in Nir Oz with their families. Their story closely resembled that of Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twins from Kfar Aza, who were captured together but separated for the past two years. Omri Miran, 48, the oldest of the group, was kidnapped from his home in Nahal Oz as his daughters, Alma and Roni, watched. Both the girls were extremely young when their father was stripped away from them, but the haunting memory of the way the terrorists used to break them apart stuck in the oldest daughter’s mind. Alon Ohel, 24, a talented pianist, was also among the hostages. Across Israel, people painted yellow pianos with the words “Alon, you are not alone,” demonstrating solidarity with him. Matan Zanguaker, 25, from Nir Oz, whose mother became one of the most powerful voices in the hostage movement, also came home. Eitan Horn, 39, also from Nir Oz, had been captured alongside his family. His strength became a source of inspiration for his entire kibbutz.
Among the soldiers was Nimrod Cohen, 21, known for his love of puzzles, taken from his tank unit near the borders. He was the only soldier among the twenty who returned.
At Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where people had gathered daily under banners that said “Bring Them Home,” strangers hugged, parents cried, and children waved Israeli flags. For the first time in two years, there was complete joy in the square.
But with joy came grief. Along with the 20 survivors came the bodies of ten others. As Israel celebrated, the families of the fallen mourned the death of their loved ones.
The return of the hostages cannot and will not erase the pain of October 7, 2023. It was a day that took more than 1,200 lives and changed Israel forever. But now, it offered something the nation hasn’t felt in two years: peace.
Their return is both an ending and a beginning. The former hostages’ stories carry pain, strength, and survival, reminding people that even in the darkest times, love and hope can still prevail and find their way home.
Welcome home.
