WATCH: Released hostage Eliya Cohen reunites with his family

Cohen was among six hostages freed on February 22, 2025, in a carefully orchestrated release that played out under the watch of Red Cross officials in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp. Footage showed him on stage alongside fellow Nova festival survivors Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert, before being transferred to Israeli custody and reunited with his family at a hospital in central Israel.

His release comes amid the completion of the current phase of hostage exchanges, which began on January 19 under a Qatar and Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement. The deal has focused on freeing civilian captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and humanitarian concessions in Gaza.

"They took us from what should have been the happiest night of music to the darkest nightmare imaginable," said one previously released Nova survivor, speaking about the festival attack that saw 260 attendees killed and dozens taken hostage. While Cohen's specific experience in captivity remains private, other freed hostages have described being held in tunnels and cramped rooms during their ordeal.

Of the 251 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023, officials say 58 remain in Gaza - with 34 believed dead. Four more bodies are expected to be returned next week as negotiations continue for a potential second phase of exchanges focusing on military captives.

The Nova festival attack and subsequent hostage crisis has left deep scars on Israel's youth culture and music scene. Cohen's return, while celebrated, serves as a reminder of both the progress made in securing releases and the painful road ahead for survivors processing their 16-month ordeal.

Relatives and friends gathered at Tel Aviv's "Hostages Square" erupted in tears and celebration as live footage showed Cohen's release, though medical officials note that returnees face a long journey of physical and psychological recovery after their captivity.