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After 498 days in Hamas captivity, Sagui Dekel-Chen was reunited with his daughters Bari, Gali and newborn Shahar-Mazal, whom he had never met.
But dozens of other fathers remain in Gaza, nearly 500 days after they were abducted, with some expected to be released in the remaining phases of the current hostage deal.
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From top left clockwise: Tsachi Idan, David Cunio, Ohad Yahalomi, Elkana Bohbot, Omri Miran and Tal Shoham
(Photo: Courtesy of the families)
Tal Shoham: Father of Neveh and Yahel
Tal Shoham, 39, from Ma’aleh Tzvi, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, along with his wife, Adi, their children, Neveh, 8, and Yahel, 4, his mother-in-law, and two other family members. While his entire family was freed after 50 days in captivity, Tal remains in Gaza. He is on the release list for the ongoing hostage deal, with two more exchange rounds still pending.
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Tal and Adi Shoham with their children Neveh and Yahel
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
In June 2024, Adi shared a heartbreaking "question sheet" written by their children after their return from captivity. "These are just fragments of our daily life. This has been our reality for far too long. We must bring Tal home to his grieving children—this is the most urgent, humane and just action to take," she wrote.
Their questions ranged from when their father would return to why they kept seeing other fathers reunite with their families while theirs was still missing. They also continued to process the horrors they witnessed, asking questions like: "Why was that man outside shouting? Is it happening again like in Be’eri? Why did they come into the kibbutz and do this? How did they kill Grandpa? Did he see it coming, or was he surprised? Mom, are we about to die?"
David Cunio: Father of Yuli and Emma
David Cunio, 33, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped with his wife, Sharon Aloni-Cunio, and their three-year-old twin daughters, Yuli and Emma. On October 7, he held the door of their shelter shut for five hours as terrorists tried to break in. Sharon and the girls were freed after 52 days, but David remains in captivity.
His brother, Ariel Cunio, was also abducted with his partner Arbel Yehoud, who was released in the current hostage exchange after being held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
While David remains in Gaza, his daughters celebrated their fourth birthday without him, blowing out candles and making a single wish: that their father returns home.
Sharon recently released a video in Arabic, pleading with Hamas for proof of life. "David and I marked our anniversary while he was in captivity. We’ve been together for almost 11 years. He is the love of my life, and I cannot imagine a future without him," she said.
Tsachi Idan: Father of Ma’ayan, Sharon, Yael and Shahar
Tsachi Idan was kidnapped from his home in Nahal Oz, after terrorists stormed in and murdered his eldest daughter Ma’ayan. His house became a makeshift command center for the attackers, who rounded up other families from the kibbutz before taking Tsachi and fellow hostages Omri Miran, Judith and Natalie Raanan into Gaza. The Raanans were later released, but Tsachi remains in captivity.
A devoted soccer fan and Hapoel Tel Aviv supporter, Tsachi has been married to Gali for 18 years, and the couple has four children: Ma’ayan, who was murdered on October 7; Sharon, 15.5, who was in Tel Aviv with relatives at the time of the attack and Yael, 12, and Shahar, 10, who were home when the attack happened.
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Gali shared how she tries to fill the void left by Tsachi: "I try to imagine how he would handle things with the kids. Would he approve of the new pergola we built outside the caravan? I try to take his place, but I refuse to do so permanently. I miss my partner in life. The little things—listening to music at night, sharing a drink—are gone. There is now a gaping hole where he used to be."
Omri Miran: Father of Alma and Roni
Omri Miran was kidnapped in front of his wife, Lishay, and their two daughters, Roni, 2, and Alma, 1. Terrorists stormed their home, forcing Omri, his wife and their daughters into the house of their neighbors, the Idan family. The attackers then separated the men from the women and children, dragging Omri into captivity while his daughter Roni ran after him, crying, "Dad, Dad!"
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Roni and Alma Miran staring at a hostage poster of their father Omri who is held captive by Hamas in Gaza
In April 2024, Hamas released a hostage video featuring Omri alongside Keith Siegel, another captive who was released last week.
Lishay said her younger daughter Alma knows her father only from posters, photos and stories her older sister tells. Now relocated to Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, Lishay waits for news on Omri’s fate.
"Roni remembers more details every night. She saw her father tied up. She woke up to guns pointed at her face. She screams in her sleep, 'Good night, Dad!' I just want her to stop screaming. I want him here. I want to scream for the hostages—don’t forget us."
Ohad Yahalomi: Father of Eitan, Yael and their younger sister
The Yahalomi family was kidnapped together. Bat-Sheva and her two young daughters were taken on one motorcycle, while her son Eitan was taken separately. Ohad, their father, was left behind injured, only to be abducted later.
At the Gaza border, the terrorist driving Bat-Sheva and the girls panicked and fell, allowing her and the girls to escape. Eitan, however, was taken into captivity with his father.
A nature reserve inspector, Ohad's whereabouts remain unknown. "We have no news about him," said Bat-Sheva. "The uncertainty is unbearable. I don’t want to imagine what this time is doing to the hostages. Every day is another weight of despair on their shoulders. I don’t know how they survive this."
Elkana Bohbot: Father of Re'em David
Elkana Bohbot, a production worker at the Nova music festival, had the chance to flee but chose to stay behind and help the wounded. He was last seen assisting in the evacuation of injured civilians before being kidnapped.
His wife, Rivka, and their four-year-old son, Re’em David, continue to wait for his return.
"He could have run, but he decided to stay and help," Rivka said in a speech to Knesset. "At 8:00 a.m., we spoke for the last time. He promised he would come home. I believe him. We have a son who waits for him every day."
While some fathers remain alive in captivity, the remains of others are still being held by Hamas. Among them: Ronen Engel, Aviv Atzili, Meny Godard, Ilan Weiss, Col. Asaf Hamami, Tal Chaimi, Yair (Yaya) Yaakov, Eitan Levi, Eliyahu "Churchill" Margalit, Shlomo Mansour, Lior Rudaeff, Amiram Cooper and Yossi Sharabi.