Former hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal shared in an interview with i24NEWS the harrowing experience he endured in the 24 hours leading up to his release from Hamas captivity.
On the Saturday before his return to Israel, Gilboa-Dalal and fellow hostages were brought above ground. Their captors informed them that a ceasefire was imminent and promised that he would be reunited with his mother within 12 hours. A senior Hamas terrorist even offered them an unusually large amount of food and spoke of “going home.”
However, the following morning, everything changed. Gilboa-Dalal was abruptly told he would not be released. “Your government and army don’t want you,” his captors claimed - a clear psychological attempt to crush his spirit and extinguish his hope.
At that point, he began preparing himself mentally for prolonged captivity. But just hours later, he was awakened, given clean clothes, and told to prepare - marking the start of his actual release.
Gilboa-Dalal also recounted the pain of being separated from his close friend Evyatar David, who had been abducted alongside him from the Nova music festival. Their reunion after their release, he said, was emotionally overwhelming. “The dream we imagined - returning as free men - had come true,” he said.
During his time in Gaza, after being separated from Evyatar, Gilboa-Dalal was moved to serve as a human shield in the city. He was instructed to write personal letters to his family, the army, and the government. Though he believed they would never be delivered, he wrote them to unburden himself emotionally. After his release, he was astonished to learn that the letters had reached their intended recipients - and had strengthened his family during his absence.
He concluded by expressing deep gratitude for the unwavering support and love he felt from the public throughout his ordeal, noting that even in captivity, he could feel it.