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More than two years since their abduction during the assault that ignited the Israel-Hamas conflict, all the living hostages have been returned from Gaza to Israel.
The 20 surviving hostages were released “after 738 agonizing days in captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
As part of the initial stage of the peace agreement facilitated by the U.S., Hamas has also agreed to send back the remains of more than two dozen hostages who perished.
The hostage advocacy group declared, “Our battle continues. It will conclude only when every missing hostage is found and properly laid to rest. This is our duty. Only then will the people of Israel be complete.”
Here are the 20 living hostages who were released Monday with details provided by the Missing Families Forum:
Alon Ohel, aged 24, with a passion for music since childhood, started playing piano at 9 and was set to start his studies at Israel’s Rimon School of Music in October 2023. However, he was taken hostage at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, along with Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, and the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Ariel Cunio, 28, a software tester and astronomy enthusiast, was captured alongside his partner, Arbel Yehud, from kibbutz Nir Oz. While she was freed in January under a previous truce, Ariel was just released, along with his brother David, who had also been captured on October 7.
David Cunio, 35, is the elder sibling of Ariel Cunio and worked as an electrical technician. On October 7, he bravely held the door of the family’s safe room for several hours against an assault. His wife Sharon and their two daughters were also taken but released after a 52-day captivity.
Avinatan Or, 32, was born and raised in Shiloh before moving to Tel Aviv, where he worked for Nvidia. He was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was rescued in a military operation in June 2024.
Bar Kupershtein, 23, was a staff member at the Nova music festival. A combat medic, he was helping victims of the Oct. 7 attack before being abducted himself. Kupershtein had taken on a greater role in his family after a 2019 accident left his father, Tal Kupershtein, unable to move or speak. Since his son’s abduction, Tal Kupershtein has been undergoing speech therapy and regained some ability to speak to aid the fight for his return.
Eitan Avraham Mor, 25, worked at a coffee shop in Jerusalem and was also on the security team at the Nova music festival, where he was said to have helped evacuate wounded people before he was abducted. He is the oldest of seven siblings.
Eitan Horn, 39, immigrated to Israel from Argentina as a teenager and worked in education. On Oct. 7, Horn was visiting his brother Yair Horn in kibbutz Nir Oz, where they were both kidnapped from his home. They were held together until Yair Horn’s release in February.
Elkana Bohbot, 36, was one of the organizers of the Nova music festival, and was helping to evacuate the wounded when he was abducted. His family expressed concern for his health in May after he appeared in a video circulated by Hamas. “Everything is fine, relax,” he told his cheering family in a call ahead of his release Monday.
Evyatar David, 24, was abducted from the Nova music festival along with his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was also released Monday. His brother, Ilay David, described him to NBC News as a “brilliant guitar player” with the “kindest soul I know.” Video of an emaciated David drew an international outcry when it was released by Hamas during the summer.
Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, are twins and avid soccer fans who worked together in kibbutz Kfar Aza, where they grew up. They were kidnapped from the kibbutz along with their friend Emily Damari, who was released in January.
Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, was seen with Alon Ohel in a video released last month by Hamas. From a young age, Gilboa-Dalal has admired Japanese culture and anime, even studying the language. Outside of Japanese culture, he enjoys music and attended the Nova festival, where he was kidnapped along with his friend Evyatar David. His brother Gal Gilboa-Dalal, was also at the festival and survived.
Maksym Harkin, 37, immigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his family. He is the son of a single mother who describes him as the anchor of the family. Although he doesn’t often go to parties, Harkin attended the Nova music festival with friends, two of whom were killed, and he was kidnapped to Gaza.
Matan Angrest, 22, an Israel Defense Forces soldier, was kidnapped from his tank while defending the Nahal Oz base. Earlier this year, his family released video of his capture in an effort to draw attention to his case amid concerns about his health.
Matan Zangauker, 25, was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. She was freed during the first ceasefire in November 2023 and has since been fighting for his release.
Nimrod Cohen, 21, an IDF soldier, was abducted while defending kibbutz Nirim. The three other soldiers in his tank crew were killed. Cohen is known to love solving Rubik’s cubes, and after his abduction his burned Rubik’s cube was found in the tank.
Omri Miran, 47, a shiatsu therapist and gardener, was kidnapped from the safe room of his home in kibbutz Nahal Oz in front of his wife, Lishay Miran, and two young daughters, one of whom was only 6 months old at the time.
Rom Braslavski, 21, is from Jerusalem and was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. In a video released in August by Hamas ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad, he appeared weak and thin. “The faith and strength I saw in his eyes back then have been replaced by sadness, depression and helplessness,” said former hostage Sasha Troufanov, who was held with Braslavski before being released in February.
Segev Kalfon, 27, was abducted while trying to flee the attack on the Nova music festival. According to The Jerusalem Post, his family only learned he was still alive in February.
Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, was abducted while trying to flee the attack on the Nova music festival with a friend. In May, he appeared in a video published by Hamas with fellow hostage Elkana Bohbot.
