Hamas kidnapped us together, held us apart for over a year — and now we’re starting over

My sanction is Arbel Yehoud. I americium 30, and I was calved and raised successful Kibbutz Nir Oz. 

My sanction is Ariel Cunio. I americium 28, and I was besides calved and raised successful Kibbutz Nir Oz. 

We grew up conscionable a fewer steps apart, successful the aforesaid tiny assemblage successful confederate Israel, agelong earlier we ever imagined our lives would beryllium defined by survival.

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On Oct. 7, 2023, we were kidnapped from our location by Hamas terrorists. Arbel was held successful captivity for 482 days. Ariel was held for 738 days. We were taken unneurotic and separated wrong hours. 

What carried america done those days successful hellhole was not certainty, oregon strength, oregon anticipation successful the abstract. It was love. 

Ariel and Arbel reunite connected the time of Ariel’s release. Credit: GPO (Israel Government Press Office)

We grew up together, walking the aforesaid paths, surrounded by the aforesaid quiescent routines. Our parents were neighbors and adjacent friends. We didn't program to autumn successful love. When it recovered us, it arrived softly and unexpectedly. 

At first, we kept it to ourselves. Ariel was astir to permission connected a agelong travel abroad, and region felt similar an inevitable ending. But the farther isolated we were, the deeper our emotion grew. When we reunited, we knew we wanted to physique a beingness together. 

We moved into a tiny humble location connected the kibbutz. We built a simple, blessed routine: cooking together, dancing successful the surviving room, walking done unfastened fields, talking astir the future. We dreamed of children, of household and of increasing aged successful the aforesaid spot wherever we erstwhile played arsenic kids. 

In aboriginal Oct. 2023, we adopted our puppy, Murph. Life felt full. Peaceful. 

And then, connected Oct. 7, everything ended.

Hamas terrorists killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, erstwhile they attacked Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023.  (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

We woke to sirens. When we heard gunfire, we hoped it was the army. We locked ourselves inside. When voices successful Arabic drew closer, we inactive didn't understand. Then our doorway was forced open. We hid nether the furniture and tried to enactment silent. They recovered us. Our canine was changeable and killed successful beforehand of us. We were beaten, our ribs broken, dragged outside, stripped of our information and dignity. Our location became the country of our satellite ending.

We drove past a burning location belonging to Ariel's member and his family, not knowing if they were alive. We were driven connected a motorcycle, assaulted, transferred into Gaza, interrogated. Then, lone 3 hours aft being kidnapped, we were torn apart, screaming.

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Former Hamas-held hostages Arbel Yehoud (L) & Ariel Cunio (R) successful Israel. (Nataly Bendersky Shalem)

No goodbye. No past words. No mode of knowing if we would ever spot each different again. From that infinitesimal on, we were wholly alone.

Each of america was held separately successful inhumane conditions: hunger, fear, humiliation, changeless threat. Days without light, without time, without knowing what had happened to our families oregon to each other. The loneliness was the hardest part: being unsocial with despair, with terror, with the thought that endurance mightiness beryllium excessively overmuch to bear. 

In the darkness, we had thing near but memory. So we held connected to each different successful our minds. Arbel wrote pages filled with dreams of a shared future, drawings of a wedding, of children, of mean life. That notebook yet reached Ariel. It became a lifeline. Proof that idiosyncratic was waiting. 

Both of america reached breaking points during captivity. Both of america thought astir taking our ain lives. And some of america stopped for the aforesaid reason: the thought of the other. The knowing that if 1 of america disappeared, the different would not past either. 

Scenes of chaos successful Khan Younis, arsenic hostages Gadi Moses and Arbel Yehoud were forced to locomotion connected ft done a Palestinian mob to waiting Red Cross vehicles connected Jan. 30, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)

When Arbel was released aft 482 days, state didn't consciousness similar freedom. Ariel was near behind. The guilt was unbearable — guilt for breathing caller air, for seeing daylight, for being harmless portion the different remained captive. Instead of healing, the combat began. Arbel traveled the world, speaking out, gathering leaders, trying to explicate what it means to beryllium held unsocial successful captivity, to suffer hope, to person your soulmate near down with clip moving out. 

Months later, against each odds, we were reunited. Ariel was released aft 738 days. 

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Now we person nary location to instrumentality to. The location we built our beingness successful is gone. Roughly a 4th of our kibbutz were murdered oregon kidnapped that horrific Saturday. The assemblage we knew has been destroyed. The beingness we erstwhile imagined nary longer exists.

But we are here. Together.

Ariel Cunio and his woman Arbel Yehoud. After 482 days, Arbel was yet freed successful February's hostages for prisoners exchange.  (Cunio family)