Freed Hostage Eliya Cohen Is Engaged To Ziv Abud 

If you're hearing about Eliya Cohen's engagement to Ziv Abud for the first time, it hits like a gut punch—especially given the nightmare they endured. Eliya, 27, was kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack at the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His partner of seven years, Ziv Abud, also 27, survived the same horror by hiding under bodies in a roadside shelter dubbed the "bunker of death."

After 505 harrowing days in captivity, Eliya was released on February 22, 2025, as part of a hostage-prisoner swap deal. Their reunion? Pure, tear-soaked magic.

But their story is about more than survival—it's a testament to love that refused to break.

The Night Everything Changed

October 7 started as a celebration. Eliya and Ziv, childhood sweethearts from Pardes Hanna in northern Israel, had been together since their teens. They were dancing at the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re'im when Hamas rockets began raining down. Hand in hand, they fled to a makeshift bomb shelter along with Ziv's nephew Amit Ben Avida and his fiancée Karin Schwartzman.What happened next was chaos. Terrorists hurled grenades into the shelter, killing 16 people inside, including Karin. As shrapnel flew, Eliya shielded Ziv, whispering, "Ziv, I love you" just before a blast tore through the entrance.

Bullets followed, and Eliya was dragged out by gunmen, one of four survivors taken hostage from the bunker (the others were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy, and Eli Sharabi).

Ziv, injured and terrified, hid motionless under corpses for three hours until IDF forces rescued her.

In those final moments, as they clung to each other, Ziv later recalled feeling him being pulled away: "Eliya and I were holding each other until I felt them pulling him away from me."

A Proposal That Never Happened—Until It Did

While Ziv was fighting for her life, Eliya was loaded into a truck with the other hostages, driven into Gaza. He spent the next 15 months in tunnels, chained by the ankle, surviving on scraps like a single pita a day, enduring torture, and losing over 20 kilos (44 pounds). He had no contact with the outside world, convinced Ziv hadn't made it.

Back home, Ziv refused to give up. She became a fierce advocate, speaking at Knesset hearings, staging a solo romantic dinner on Tel Aviv's beach for Tu B'Av (the Jewish "Valentine's Day") in August 2024 to highlight missing loved ones, and even meeting Holocaust survivors to draw parallels to their resilience.

Then came the bombshell: Eliya's mother, Sigi Cohen, revealed he'd secretly bought an engagement ring weeks before October 7, planning a surprise proposal. "He told everyone except me," Ziv shared, her voice cracking.

From that moment, she proudly called herself his fiancée, wearing the ring as a symbol of their unbreakable bond.Signs of life trickled in sporadically, a chilling Hamas photo from October 7 showing Eliya in a hospital-like setting, eyes wide with fear.

In February 2025, released hostages Or Levy and Eli Sharabi confirmed Eliya was alive but suffering, held with Alon Ohel until days before their own freedom.

The Reunion: Tears, Kisses, and "I Love You"

On February 22, 2025, Eliya crossed back into Israel via Egypt as part of the ceasefire deal. First stop: a helicopter to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer (later transferred to Be'er Ya'akov and Rabin hospitals for recovery).

A psychologist broke the news gently: His parents were waiting and Ziv too. Eliya broke down, whispering, "I didn't think you'd be alive."

IDF footage captured the magic: Eliya, frail but beaming, embracing his parents, then turning to Ziv. She rushed into his arms, sobbing, "You're my love, my life, my darling."

They locked eyes and in a quiet moment, Eliya asked simply, "How are you?" On the chopper ride, he scrawled on a whiteboard: "I am here. I’m not being wasted anymore."

Ziv later said it felt like a dream: "We were torn from each other's arms on October 7. Now, we're back."

Life After Captivity: Healing and Advocacy

Eliya spent 10 days in the hospital before heading home to his mother's house in Pardes Hanna, where he and Ziv are living.

Recovery hasn't been easy—nightmares, PTSD, and worry over friends like Alon Ohel, who remains captive.

Eliya has shared glimpses of tunnel horrors, like witnessing a fellow hostage shot for trying to escape.

Yet, their love shines through. Ziv calls him her "rock," and they vowed to advocate for the hostages still held in Gaza.

By April 2025, Eliya was opening up in interviews, crediting Ziv's unwavering fight for giving him hope.

Their story has inspired campaigns like "Reunite Eliya Cohen with Fiancée Ziv Abud Now," with videos going viral.

Eliyha and Ziv have traveled around the world, sharing their story.

Today, they got engaged. We are so thrilled for them.