“Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, for His kindness is eternal” – The Emotional Moments of Elia Cohen, His Partner, and His Family
Eliya Cohen was abducted during the Nova festival in Re’im along with his partner, Ziv Avod. While the festival was under missile attack, the two sought refuge in a small fortified shelter, which later became known as the “death shelter.” Later that day, Eliya was taken captive to Gaza, while Ziv managed to escape. Today (Saturday), Eliya has returned home, and among his family, moments of joy were interwoven with tears of emotion and numerous verses of thanksgiving.
Watch the first moments aboard the helicopter:
Upon reuniting with his partner, Ziv, Eliya discovered for the first time that she had not been murdered in the shelter but had survived. “I can’t believe you’re alive,” he told her aboard the helicopter. Before he was abducted, Eliya had purchased a ring with the intention of proposing to her.
“Eliya is coming home”
“Eliya is coming home! Eliya is coming home! Eliya is coming home!” his family members sang and chanted at the hospital. His father recited Psalm 100, known as the Psalm of Thanksgiving, concluding with the words: “For the Lord is good; His kindness is forever, and until generation after generation is His faith.”
“Starting a New Chapter”
His family stated: “Until Eliya’s return to Israel, we did not know his full physical and mental condition after enduring long months of abuse and starvation in captivity. This moment, which should be filled with joy, is also accompanied by pain for what he went through and for the families who lost loved ones in the war.”
“At last, Eliya can be surrounded by his loved ones, his family, and his partner, and embark on a new path,” they added. The family has requested that the media and the public “respect his privacy and the emotional and physical rehabilitation process he is about to undergo.”
