JERUSALEM — For the first time in more than a year, families of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza have received confirmation that their loved ones are still alive. These messages, carried by captives recently freed under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, have offered both relief and anguish.

Since the ceasefire began on January 19, 19 Israeli hostages have been released. Many have shared harrowing accounts of the inhumane conditions they endured in captivity, leaving their families torn between renewed hope and deepening fear. The frail and emaciated appearance of three hostages freed on February 8 has only intensified their concerns.

So far, at least 10 of the 251 people kidnapped in Hamas’ October 7 attack have managed to get messages to their families. One of them, Elkana Bohbot, 35, was abducted from the Nova music festival. Shortly after his capture, a video surfaced showing him bound and bloodied. Now, after nearly 500 days, his family has received a message from a fellow captive who was held alongside him in a Gaza tunnel.

Through the freed hostage, Elkana urged his wife, Rivka, to find strength by listening to the Israeli pop song Warrior every day. Speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv, Rivka Bohbot shared her emotional response:

"Five hundred terrible days have passed, and this week, thank God, we received a sign of life. Elkana is alive but suffering in inhumane conditions. I promise you, we will not stop until you come home. We will never give up on you. Don’t break, my love. Soon you will be home. Soon this nightmare will end."

Another hostage who sent a message was 24-year-old pianist Alon Ohel, who had taken shelter in a roadside bomb shelter before being kidnapped. His mother, Idit, revealed that he is being held injured and shackled in a tunnel, surviving on just one piece of bread a day. Despite his dire situation, he managed to send a birthday message to his sister through a freed hostage. It was incredible," Idit said through tears. "To hear from her brother, on her birthday, was a moment of joy in the darkness."

500 Days in Captivity: A Growing Outcry: As the hostages marked 500 days in captivity, families and supporters staged nationwide protests across Israel, demanding the immediate release of the 73 individuals still held in Gaza. Among them are twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 27, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Their family recently received confirmation that they are still alive—the first update since November 2023, when a previously freed hostage relayed news about them.

"The pain is unbearable. This nightmare never ends. But knowing they are alive gives us a breath of hope," their aunt, Makabit Mayer, said while speaking to lawmakers at a protest in Israel’s parliament. "Still, we know whose hands they are in, and everything can change in an instant."

One of the hostages, Omri Miran, 47, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz in front of his wife and young daughters. The last proof of his survival came in April 2024, when a video surfaced showing him alive in captivity. His wife, Lishay Lavi Miran, said she relives the trauma of October 7 every single day.

"For 500 days, I have woken up each morning and felt like I’m still stuck in October 7," she said. "We don’t just want signs of life. We want Omri home. We want him back with us." Their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter asks every morning when her father will return. Though the pain is immense, Lishay remains determined: "We will never give up hope. We can’t afford to."

The hostages were among those taken during Hamas' October 7 cross-border attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people. In response, Israel launched a massive military assault on Gaza, resulting in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of Gaza has been left in ruins, yet dozens of hostages remain in captivity, their fate uncertain.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.