Released Israeli hostage speaks out at Yeshiva University

Hundreds of Yeshiva University students gathered in prayer Tuesday for Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza.

On Oct. 7, Sapir Cohen and her boyfriend, Sasha Trupanov, were taken into Hamas captivity while in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

“Hundreds of terrorists came inside the kibbutz, and I heard things explode, and I heard the screams of the terrorists and the screams of our people that [were] killed by them,” Cohen said.

“When I came outside, I saw Sasha with the knees on the floor, with the hands over his head, and bleeding face, because they beat him. And they put me on a bike, with two terrorists, and took me to Gaza. That was the last moment that I saw Sasha,” Cohen added.

Cohen was released from captivity after 55 days, but her boyfriend is still a hostage. She lives in Israel, but is traveling around the world sharing her story.

“Food, it was always a problem, because we were starving most of the time, and I needed to think, how can I get more food? So all the time, I just thought about that. In the tunnels, it’s really bad. You can’t know if it’s day or night, and you can’t breath. It’s very hard to breathe there,” she said.

Yeshiva University president Ari Berman says he invited Cohen to share her story and bravery to lift students’ spirits on the first day of the semester.

“All of our students have Israel in their hearts. We are all thinking about and praying for peace throughout the state of Israel, throughout our region. No innocent people should be killed, and Hamas should be blamed for the terrible tragedy that they have initiated on October 7th,” Berman said.

Cohen says prayers help her get through this tough time, and she is asking for more prayers for her boyfriend and all those who remain in Gaza.

“I felt miracles. I think that one of the biggest miracles that I felt is that I understood that maybe I’m supposed to be in this place,” she said.

On Tuesday, a 52-year-old Israeli man was freed from Hamas’ tunnel network in Gaza, but many remain. According to The Hostage Forum, 108 people still remain in Hamas captivity.