Recently freed hostage Sasha Troufanov revealed that he was held with Rom Breslavski for a short time. In a recorded message, Troufanov urged Breslavski to "stay strong and not give up," addressing him in both Hebrew and Arabic. Troufanov, who was held by Islamic Jihad, noted that other hostages, including Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes, also were not heard from until their release.
"I am speaking today with a message I cannot keep just for my loved ones," he said. "On one hand, I am so happy to be home, to see my mother, my dear friends, my girlfriend, and all the people who prayed and hoped for me. But on the other hand, I cannot disconnect from the hostages who are still there in Gaza, the people left behind."
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רום ברסלבסקירום ברסלבסקי
Rom Breslavski, who saved many people at the Nova festival on October 7, remains in captivity
"I think a lot about my friends, especially about one person I met briefly in captivity — Rom Breslavski," Troufanov continued. "Rom, I hope my voice brings you light and hope in the dark place where you are. I want you to know that I, your friends, your family, and all of Israel are praying for you and doing everything to secure your release."
Speaking in Arabic, he added: "I hope this message reaches you. Stay strong and don’t give up. We are with you and praying for you. The redemption of captives is a supreme value in Judaism — please, do not leave them behind. Do everything possible to bring them home safely and as quickly as possible."
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סשה טרופנוב פוגש את סבתוסשה טרופנוב פוגש את סבתו
Sasha Troufanov is reunited with his grandmother
(Photo: Avi Ohayon / GPO)
Rom Breslavski was working security at the Nova music festival in Re’im on October 7 when he was kidnapped. His family has received multiple testimonies of his heroism that day, as he helped others escape the attackers.
"I came here to deliver a clear and urgent message: Our mission will only be complete when all the hostages are back home," said his father, Ofir. "Rom was kidnapped while rescuing people from the massacre. He showed unimaginable bravery, risking his life to save others. Now, it’s our turn to save him. How can it be that someone who sacrificed himself for others is not considered a humanitarian case?"
Turning directly to his son, he added: "Rom, you are a hero. We love you and are with you. We will fight for you until our last drop of blood."
Overnight, Troufanov visited the Western Wall with his partner, Sapir Cohen, who was freed after 55 days in Hamas captivity. "I came here, to the Western Wall, to give thanks and to experience this deeply emotional moment," he said. "I toured the tunnels beneath the Wall after spending so much time in the tunnels of Gaza’s darkness. Here, I felt the holiness of this place, and I heard about all the prayers that were said for me. Keep giving thanks for what you have, and keep praying for those who are still there."
During the visit, a special thanksgiving prayer, Mizmor LeTodah (Psalm of Gratitude), was recited in honor of the release of Sasha and Sapir, along with prayers for the swift return of the remaining hostages.
Earlier in the day, Ziv Aboud, the partner of freed hostage Eliya Cohen, shared her emotions for the first time since his return. "Since Eliya came home, I have been silent. Not because I had nothing to say, but because I needed a moment to breathe, to process, to feel again what I had lost for 505 days," she wrote on Instagram. "Today, I am breaking my silence — not because the pain is gone, but because it is time to say thank you.
"To all of you who fought, who prayed, who never gave up — these words are for you.
"On October 7, I lost everything in an instant. The life I knew shattered, and Eliya — the love of my life — was ripped away from me into the darkness. I was left with overwhelming fear, endless uncertainty and a longing that has no end.
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זיו עבוד, בת זוגו של אלי-ה כהן שור שבי חמאס, בפוסט באינסטגרםזיו עבוד, בת זוגו של אלי-ה כהן שור שבי חמאס, בפוסט באינסטגרם
Ziv Aboud's Instagram post
(Photo: Instagram)
"505 days of struggle, of unextinguished hope, of sleepless nights, of tears and cries, of searching for any shred of information, of wanting to feel that he was still somehow with me. 505 days of holding onto my faith with all my strength, refusing to give up, fighting alongside his family and extraordinary people to bring him home.
"And today, I can finally say: Eliya is home. I write these words and can’t believe it. I waited 505 days for this moment, imagined it, swore it would happen — and here it is. But I could not have done it alone.
"Thank you. Thank you to everyone who prayed, who believed, who fought with me. Thank you to the families of the hostages who became my family, who swore alongside me that we would not leave anyone behind. Thank you to the soldiers and fighters who brought Eliya home, and to the heroic fallen who gave their lives so that we could live.
"Thank you to the Hostage Families Forum, to everyone who stood with us, protested, shouted and demanded action. Thank you to you, dear people, who had my back, who lifted me up when I fell, who gave me strength when I felt I had none left. And a special thank you to Amit, our officer.
"But our fight is not over. Elia left behind brothers in captivity. I know exactly what it means — to wait, to count the days, to endure the darkness. I cannot go back to my life while they are still there. I cannot stay silent while they go through what Elia endured.
"Thank you, for everything. With love,
Ziv and Eliya."
Shai Wenkert, father of freed hostage Omer Wenkert, spoke to Ynet about his son’s time in captivity. "Omer was held alone for about 190 days, from the 54th day of captivity onward," he shared. "For 500 days, he had no communication, no information at all. When Tal (Shacham), Guy (Gilboa-Dalal), and Evyatar (David) joined him later, he was finally able to piece together what had happened since October 7."
Wenkert described the conditions his son endured. "He was held inside a tunnel, like the smuggling tunnels seen in videos, on bare sand, in terrible conditions. Then the three others joined him," he said. "We have to save the hostages — there are still 59 left. People ask me, ‘What do you mean by saving them?’ You can save the living, and you can also save the dead. I’m not talking about resurrection — I’m talking about giving them a proper burial in Israel. We need to bring them back before they are lost forever."
Wenkert also shared how his son coped with solitary confinement. "He had no choice but to talk to himself," he said. "He had to practice a form of self-mentoring and meditation, constantly visualizing and describing to himself what his escape would look like. And somehow, it worked."
Herut Nimrodi, mother of kidnapped soldier Tamir Nimrodi, spoke to Ynet about her son, from whom no sign of life has been received. She revealed that she is set to meet with newly appointed IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. "There is a meeting scheduled, and I am waiting to hear from him and understand his approach to this very specific issue, as a leader responsible for the soldiers," she said.
"We demand that he stand before decision-makers and fight for their return," she added. "The idea that soldiers can be left behind is unthinkable. Every hostage exchange so far has excluded our sons — we have known from the start that they were not included. Now is the moment of truth to bring these soldiers home."