Israeli Hostage Elkana Bohbot's Emotional Homecoming After Two Years in Gaza Captivity

The moment of reunion is finally approaching for Rebecca Gonzalez and Elkana Bohbot after an agonizing two-year separation.

The long wait is coming to an end. Torn apart by the Israel-Hamas conflict and now reunited through Trump's Gaza peace agreement, Rebecca Gonzalez and Elkana Bohbot are about to see each other again after two painful years apart. Elkana Bohbot is among the 20 Israeli hostages scheduled for release from Gaza today under the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Gonzalez was observed preparing her husband Elkana's belongings at the Re'im crossing in anticipation of his arrival. Re'im serves as the designated reception point for hostages crossing the border.

On the bed lay a carefully arranged collection of items: sweatshirts, a jacket, socks, caps, slippers, a towel, perfume, and shoes. Among these essentials was a heartfelt handmade card, apparently created by Bohbot's son.

Bohbot, 36, worked as one of the producers of the Supernova music festival alongside his childhood friends Michael and Osher Waknin. They were among nearly 370 people who lost their lives during the Hamas attack on the festival site in the early morning hours of October 7.

When he was abducted, Bohbot had plans to open an ice-cream stall in a Tel Aviv market, according to his parents.

In mid-February 2025, Gonzalez received confirmation that her husband was alive from Ohad Ben Ami, a former hostage who was released on February 8.

In May, he appeared in a video distributed by Hamas, alongside another hostage, Yossef-Haim Ohana. Though he did not speak, he was visibly in a weakened condition, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Gonzalez and Bohbot, who are parents to a young boy, resided in Mevasseret Tzion, near Jerusalem.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro granted Bohbot Colombian nationality in November 2023, one month after the attack.

Hamas has released seven Israeli hostages into Red Cross custody, marking the first group to be freed as part of the ceasefire agreement following two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The released hostages are Alon, Eitan, Guy, Ziv, Gali, Omri, and Matan.