From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Family of Eliya Cohen pledges to fight to bring hostage Alon Ohel home
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Siggi Cohen, the mother of freed hostage Eliya Cohen, says that her son prayed every day in captivity and said the kiddush prayer over water on Friday nights.
Speaking to media at the Rabin Medical Center, Siggi speaks directly to Alon Ohel, one of the hostages who was kept with Eliya and is still in captivity. Alon’s family learned recently that he is alive, but wounded in his eye. He was taken hostage from the same bomb shelter as Eliya and held alongside him.
“You’re not alone and we’ll fight for you until you come home,” she says.
Ziv Aboud, Eliya Cohen’s girlfriend, described the past 16 months as a journey of love.
“Eliya is at home, but there’s no victory until everyone is home. Alon Ohel, it’s my promise to Eliya and to your family, that we won’t stop until you’re home,” she says.
She thanks Aner Shapira, the “hero of the field shelter” whose actions saved her, and now Eliya Cohen and Or Levy, as he threw back out the grenades lobbed inside by Hamas until he himself was killed.
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