The messages of families of released hostages continues. On Wednesday evening, the families of Alon Ohel and Eitan Mor issued spoke from Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where the young men had been evacuated after their release from Hamas captivity. Also speaking there was the brother of released hostage Omri Miran.
“Our Alon wanted to pass a message,” said his mother, Idit. “In captivity he saw how the people of Israel fought for him, how strangers fought for him, and that gave him strength to survive.”
The father of hostage survivor Eitan Mor said: “We merit being able to embrace our Eitan thanks to heroism and sacrifice. Only pressure on Hamas brought the release of the hostages.”
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The Ohel family delivers a message from their son, returned hostage Alon
(Photo: Gil Nehushtan)
Sylvia Cunio, mother of David and Ariel, called out emotionally: “My children are home! My family is whole again and I can breathe.” Standing beside her were the former hostages Sharon Aloni Cunio and Arbel Yehoud, partners of her sons, who held up photos of fallen hostages still in captivity.
“He returned our smile to us, a true hero,” Tal Kupershtein, father of Bar Kupershtein, said.
"This week, two years of prayers and hopes finally became reality. This week we were blessed to embrace our Alon again," continued Idit Ohel. "The greatest, most beautiful smile in the world returned to us. Alon absorbed in wonder the waves of love wrapping around us, the magnitude of embrace of this marvelous people who brought him home. Shortly after the first meeting with him, Alon sat in his room and played the piano at Beilinson Hospital. After more than 700 days in the silence of the tunnels, his melody echoed again.
“There is no more marvelous expression than these notes — of our victory as a people, of our strength as a society, of the power of our faith and hope. Alon returned exhausted from a long and unimaginable period in the deepest darkness one can imagine, but he is growing stronger and improving day by day," his mother continued. "We always knew he had the mental strength to endure, but frankly we can all say his powers soared above anything we could imagine. There is no word in the dictionary to describe the resilience and heroism of this amazing man whom we are privileged to call our son.”
She described Alon's injuries sustained when was struck by a shrapnel fragment in the eye and suffered a head injury. “He survived in the tunnels and was stitched in captivity in a sloppy way while the fragments were still in his body. As a result he suffers headaches. In the past two days he has undergone a series of comprehensive tests by the dedicated medical staff — and we extend huge thanks to them all. Later he will need eye surgery and the doctors believe that significant vision improvement is possible. We pray it will be so. The deal to release the hostages saved Alon’s life and the lives of all the hostages. We will forever be grateful to everyone who helped make it happen, to all who gave dozens of broken mothers longing the chance to embrace the great treasure that was taken from them,” she said.
“Above all, thanks to the IDF soldiers, to the police, to the security forces. Of course also to the family members of those serving,” she said. She continued by thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal, the negotiating team, Gal Hirsch, and Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon. She also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump — and added “above all” thanks to the German chancellor and the president of Serbia, who acted for Alon’s release.
Idit Alon continued through tears: “Everyone who helped us feel we were not alone — you were the light at the end of our tunnel and Alon’s. After the night of October 7 we waited for dawn. We knew if there is a dawn there is a future, and we asked ourselves: to which home will Alon return. This week there was real joy. We must widen, rise above day‑to‑day quarrels, we must set out on a journey of reconstruction — to build here a home where everyone feels comfortable. A home that can contain and spread hope, because that hope, the solidarity and mutual responsibility is truly our most important resource.”
'Divine Providence guarded Eitan in the inferno'
Tzvika Mor, father of hostage survivor Eitan Mor, said: “I do not know by what merit Divine Providence preserved Eitan’s life and protected him in that inferno. Divine Providence that protected him on many occasions of real life‑threat over two years. We are privileged for this great miracle, to hug Eitan healthy and whole. He grows stronger day by day and we are confident he will fully recover for himself, for his strength, for his family and for the people of Israel.
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Returned hostage Eitan Mor and his parents on the way to the hospital after his release
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
“Israel is witnessing the removal and distancing of heavy threats. The State enables us to live and prosper in our land, when the public good is before private good. That is how one behaves in wartime — and that is how hostages are saved. Let us hope families of the dear fallen will soon see the return of their loved ones. We embrace the bereaved families of the war, the families of heroism who sacrificed what was dearest to them for the people and the State. Throughout the war we have striven to reach and console you in your hardest times. You are in our hearts forever and ever.”
“We merit to embrace our Eitan thanks to heroism and sacrifice. There is a government in Israel! It achieved tremendous gains. We want to thank the Prime Minister’s wife for supporting the bereaved families and us, the families of the hostages. We thank both of you for the ethical stance in face of those who, unfortunately, lost brotherhood among brothers. For the patience and availability, we wish to thank our partners on the path, the dear families of the Tikvah Forum. We have become one big loving family. For the first time in Israel hostage parents adhered to returning all the hostages not by deals and not by surrender — but by Hamas’ defeat. Citizens of Israel have paid enough; only pressure on Hamas brought the release of the hostages. Prime Minister, the people are with you until the war goals are achieved. Don’t stop halfway. Once all the fallen return we must annihilate Hamas. This is your duty to future generations.”
Boaz Miran, brother of Omri Miran and a member of Tikvah Forum, said: “Thank you to the forum. You strengthened us all. Thank you to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives, thank you to the wounded and to the bereaved families who sacrificed their loved ones. On paper the agreement looks excellent, but the burden of proof is on you, members of the government. Beyond the moral duty to return all hostages, the ball is in the prime minister’s court: release the hostages, disarm the Gaza Strip — and complete victory.” He said his brother Omri is recovering, and reiterated: “We must defeat Hamas. Only military pressure brought the release of the hostages. The people of Israel live.”
'Family whole again'
Sylvia Cunio, who waited more than two years for her sons David and Ariel to return, described her feelings on October 7 and the rollercoaster she has experienced in the last two years.
“Two years ago, one morning, half my family disappeared. Two sons, two daughters‑in‑law and two granddaughters vanished from the face of the earth. The world collapsed at that moment. For two years I could not breathe. Two years I felt I had no air. Today I stand and want to scream with joy: My children are home! My family is whole again and I’ve returned to breathe.
“They are beautiful, they are amazing, they are smiling, and I can’t stop crying with happiness. I know it will take time until they return to themselves, but I trust my amazing children. In this moment I mainly want to send a huge hug to the bereaved families — you are always in my heart. Your children are heroes. One last thing: the struggle is not over. There are remaining fallen hostages who have not returned. The battle will continue until the last hostage.”
Sharon Aloni Cunio, a former hostage and wife of David, said: “Emma and Yuli, my heroic little daughters, got their father back. There is none happier than me who got the love of my life back, but the struggle is not over.”
Arbel Yehuod, partner of Ariel, added: “After 738 endless days, my Ariel and his brother David are home. I am deeply moved and overwhelmed. They could have been returned long ago. They survived an inferno and held on to return home, but there are dozens of families who will not merit this moment — Yarden, Ofri and Dana will not merit the loving hug of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir.”
Kobi Kalfon, father of hostage survivor Segev Kalfon, also called for the return of all the fallen: “Our only picture of victory will be when we bring back all the deceased hostages for proper burial in the Holy Land,” he said. “Just as Moses was commanded to bring up Joseph’s bones from Egypt — so we are commanded to bring every son of Israel from captivity and from where he is, living or dead. This is the kindness of truth and endless mutual responsibility.”
Ruhama Bohbot, mother of returned hostage Elkana Bohbot, said: “Two years of a nightmare beyond words are over, and now begins a new chapter of rehabilitation and recovery. Thank God I merited to receive my Elkana twice. Thank you for this moment at perfect timing — Hoshanah Rabbah and my Hebrew birthday. From today on, Elkana and I will celebrate our birthdays together.”
She added: “I’ll conclude by saying the mission is not done — our heart is still in Gaza and we must not rest until the last hostage returns. The people of Israel demand and need all the deceased to come home, and as quickly as possible. This is our moral and ethical duty as a people, and the full responsibility of the Government of Israel.”
Julie and Tal Kupershtein, parents of hostage survivor Bar Kupershtein, began with the blessing Shehecheyanu. “How much I dreamed of this moment, to stand here and say thank you. Father, thank you for the great miracle you performed for us in the most special moment possible. I want to thank the emissaries of the Holy One, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who did and continues to do everything to bring them back, and President Trump for the partnership,” Julie said.
Tal, who requires a wheelchair, stood up with the help of others to embrace his son upon his return. “Yesterday Bar was freed from captivity — and he returned our smile. Bar, our eldest son, is a true hero. He saved lives in Nova, and cared for others until he was taken. I am very proud of him. After Bar was kidnapped I decided I would do everything to return to speaking and standing when he came back — and yesterday that dream was realized.”