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Romi Gonen

Former hostage Romi Gonen speaks to Channel 12 in the second episode of a two-part interview, broadcast on January 1, 2026. (Screen capture: Channel 12)
January 3, 2026, 3:03 pm
Romi Gonen: Hamas chief offered me early release in exchange for silence on sexual assault
Former Gaza brigade head Izz al-Din al-Haddad showed up at hostage’s release in January 2025, told her he kept up his end of the deal and she should do the same, she says
By ToI Staff
Romi Gonen speaks to Channel 12's 'Uvda,' in a program aired December 25, 2025. (Video screenshot, Channel 12)
December 26, 2025, 12:49 pm
‘If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you’: Ex-hostage Romi Gonen recounts captors’ repeated sexual assaults
25-year old, abducted from Nova rave and held in Gaza for 471 days, says Hamas gunman was ‘ecstatic’ as he abused her for 30 minutes while she wept the whole time: ‘I was paralyzed’
By Leon Kraiem
Former hostage Emily Damari speaks with The Daily Mail in an interview published July 25, 2025. (Screen capture: The Daily Mail)
July 26, 2025, 12:10 pm
Emily Damari recalls almost killing her Hamas captor, demands deal: ‘Come on already!’
Former hostage says family home of Hamas member where she was being held with Ziv Berman was bombed, describes ‘twin-like’ connection with fellow wounded hostage Romi Gonen
By ToI Staff
Former hostage Romi Gonen before her release from Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, July 10, 2025. (Instagram)
July 10, 2025, 5:43 pm
Freed hostage Romi Gonen released from hospital: ‘Another step toward my freedom’
Gonen underwent two surgeries in her half-year in hospital, will return for another; says she has mixed feelings upon release, her heart is in Gaza with hostages
By Michael Horovitz
March 16, 2025, 4:16 pm
Hostages feted as they attend first soccer games since release
Emily Damari leads crowd at Bloomfield Stadium in singing of Maccabi Tel Aviv anthem; Romi Gonen invited to meet Hapoel Haifa players
By Michael Horovitz
Top left to right: Released hostage Or Levy is embraced by relatives at Sheba Medical Center on February 8, 2025, soon after his release from Hamas captivity; Ohad Ben Ami reunites with his daughters Ella, Natalie and Yuli, and his wife Raz, at Ichilov hospital; bottom: Eli Sharabi (with his back to camera) is embraced by his brother Sharon (left) at Sheba Medical Center. (IDF/Haim Tsach/GPO)
February 15, 2025, 11:46 am
Traumatized and tortured: Freed hostages face arduous road to recovery
While many trauma experts say humans have a remarkable capacity for resilience, studies show that the psychological damage of captivity endures a lifetime
By Diana Bletter
Released hostage Keith Siegel reunites with his family at Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) on February 1, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
February 6, 2025, 8:17 pm
Freed hostages tell of deprivation in Gaza, urge return of all those still captive
Keith Siegel was made to lie down at all times for the last two months of captivity; Romi Gonen, so deprived of food, no longer recognized feeling of hunger upon her release
By Melanie Lidman
Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of released hostage Romi Gonen, speaks to The Times of Israel on February 5, 2025 (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)
February 5, 2025, 8:03 pm
Despite suffering, Romi Gonen returned from captivity with a smile, says mother
Meirav Leshem Gonen tells ToI about the terrible conditions her daughter endured, hails all the hostages who’ve come home as ‘true survivors… they decided to live’
By Jessica Steinberg
Released hostage soldier Agam Berger, right, meets Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, fellow soldiers also freed from Hamas captivity, at Rabin Medical Center, January 30, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
February 4, 2025, 11:42 pm
IDF soldiers released from captivity were held by senior Hamas terrorist – report
Former hostages were not aware of high-ranking position of captor, who apparently kept them as human shields, tried to extract information on border security
By ToI Staff
Romi Gonen reunites with her family at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, January 19, 2025. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
January 29, 2025, 12:33 pm
Romi Gonen’s father: Long road ahead for recovery, family not pushing her to share
Eitan Gonen says his daughter survived Hamas captivity thanks to Emily Damari’s company, learned Arabic to communicate with captors
By AP and ToI Staff
Released hostage Amit Soussana speaks during a rally calling for the release of Hamas captives held in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, January 18, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
January 29, 2025, 11:08 am
Ex-hostage says Liri Albag saved her life as Hamas captors tortured, threatened her
Amit Soussana, released in 2023, credits intervention of hostage freed Saturday; Naama Levy, Romi Gonen share beginnings of recovery, urge release of remaining captives
By ToI Staff
Vertigo dancer Etai Peri leads Romi Gonen's friends in a dance piece at Hostages Square during 2024 (Screengrab: YouTube)
January 25, 2025, 10:38 pm
Choreographer looks back on a year of dances for freed captive
Etai Peri, who once taught released hostage Romi Gonen, reflects on leading movement events with her friends at Hostages Square
By Jessica Steinberg
Doron Steinbrecher (in black) reunites with her family at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, January 19, 2025. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
January 21, 2025, 12:24 am
‘I thought I’d die in Gaza’: First testimonies from freed hostages released
Former captives quoted saying they ‘were scared to death’ during Hamas transfer in Gaza City; some hardly saw daylight in 471 days; all of them knew what happened on October 7
By ToI Staff and Jessica Steinberg
Released hostages (L-R) Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen reunite with their mothers shortly after returning to Israel after 471 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
January 20, 2025, 8:25 pm
‘I came back alive!’: Videos show freed hostages reuniting with their mothers
Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, tearful and smiling, seen embracing their moms shortly after crossing into Israeli territory for the first time in 471 days
By ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian
Supporters and relatives of hostages held captive in Gaza react while watching a live TV broadcast on the release of three Israeli hostages, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, January 19, 2025. (Menahem Kahana / AFP)
January 20, 2025, 6:17 pm
‘I’m alive again, my beloveds’: Ex-hostages send first messages after Gaza captivity
Less than 24 hours after being released by Hamas in first stage of nascent truce, Emily Damari signs social media post with ‘rock on’ emoji to represent two fingers lost on Oct. 7
By ToI Staff
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