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Ilan, father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal said on Saturday that he received the first sign of life from his son after eight months. The message came from one of the six released hostages who had been held with him for a long period. “We were told he’s alive. It’s incredibly emotional and gives us hope,” Ilan said.
“We don’t know which released hostage delivered the message, only that Guy is alive and that alone is overwhelming,” he added. “We’re waiting for more details about his condition and where he’s being held.
“We have so many questions — does he know that his brother Gal, who was also at the party (Nova music festival), survived? Does he know that his close friends were murdered? We’re waiting for updates from intelligence sources and, of course, for the second phase of the deal to bring Guy and all the hostages home.”
Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen and Tal Shoham were freed after 505 days in captivity on Saturday, alongside Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu. One of them delivered the sign of life from Guy, bringing relief to his parents after months of uncertainty.
Guy, 22, attended the Nova music festival with his friends Evyatar David, Idan Haramaty and Ron Zarfati. His brother Gal later joined them. When the attack began, Guy insisted on staying with his friends and the brothers split up. Gal escaped, Ron and Idan were murdered and Evyatar and Guy were abducted.
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His parents learned what happened that morning from Almog Meir Jan, who was also kidnapped and later rescued in a June 2024 operation. “When Almog returned, he described everything they went through,” Ilan said.
“Almog, Evyatar, and Guy hid behind a bush near Route 232. They saw horrific sights — people being murdered before their eyes. When a terrorist found them, he chose to kidnap them rather than kill them,” he recalled.
“In Gaza, the terrorists filmed a video of them and then separated them. In January 2024, we received a first vague sign of life, but after Almog and three other hostages were rescued, Hamas moved all remaining captives underground and intelligence lost contact.”
Guy’s mother, Miri Gilboa Dalal, told Ynet: “I see hostages coming out and hope my son’s turn is coming. I was shocked when Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were released. My biggest fear is that my son is in their condition.”