“Blessed are you, our God, who has provided us with life, and sustained us, and brought us to this moment,” said the family of freed Hamas hostage and IDF surveillance soldier Daniella Gilboa, as she was returned on Saturday after nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity.
“Our Daniella, Nushi, has survived 477 days in the hell of Gaza and has finally returned to our family’s embrace. How we’ve prayed for this moment!”
Daniella Gilboa returned to Israel on Saturday after spending nearly 500 days as a hostage in Hamas captivity.
Daniella was released along with fellow IDF observers Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, and Liri Albag.
Her family added that they were praying for the return of all of the hostages, including Agam Berger, another IDF observer who was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz base with the four released hostages on October 7.
“We pray for Agam [Berger]’s swift return and for all those still held captive,” the family added, thanking Israelis for their prayers and support.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum celebrated the release of Daniella, Liri, Naama and Karina - saying their newly returned freedom "represents a moment of light in the darkness" and a "triumph of spirit."
The forum stressed the need to continue working to return the remaining 90 hostages being held in Gaza.
As part of the first release last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.
Who is Daniella Gilboa?
Daniella, now 20, is a talented musician with a winning smile. She is funny and stands out in any environment, loved ones shared about her.
Her name is actually Danielle and was changed to Daniella by her parents after she was taken captive.
“Two weeks after her abduction, Danielle Gilboa’s parents spoke to a rabbi who recommended giving her a second name and changing her name from Danielle to Daniella,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
“In Hebrew, adding the letter ‘hei’ (which means God and sounds like ‘a[h]’) to the end of a name symbolizes adding divine protection to the person,” the forum explained.
Daniella’s mother has mentioned this in interviews, saying that her dream is for her daughter to scold her for the change when she returns safely home.
Along with her friends and family, Gilboa's boyfriend of eight years is awaiting her return. His father previously told Israeli media that his son had sought Gilboa's parents' blessing to propose to their daughter.
What do we know about the abduction of Daniella Gilboa?
She was taken captive from the Nahal Oz base along with other IDF observers. Footage of the abduction, in which the women are seen being held by Hamas terrorists in the base’s shelter, some of them bloodied and apparently injured, was released by the families in May.
Gilboa has appeared in multiple videos released by her terrorist captors. In a July video, she directed criticism at the government.
The footage reassured many that wounds to Gilboa’s leg sustained on October 7 had not proven more deadly, her boyfriend’s father told Maariv. The released hostage has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for around eight years.
“I don’t know when or if I’ll ever return home. I’m under constant bombardment and gunfire 24 hours a day. I’m terrified for my life. At one point, your bombs nearly killed me,” she said. “Where were you on October 7 when I was taken from my bed? Where are you now? Why do I, as a soldier who gave 100% of myself to the country and served in such difficult conditions in the Gaza envelope, have to feel abandoned and discarded by you?”
“In the footage, she appears strong and determined, but psychological assessments we’ve received indicate her poor mental state,” Gilboa’s mother, Orly Gilboa, said after the footage was released.