After spending 15 months in captivity in Gaza, 20-year-old Daniella Gilboa is determined to reclaim her life. She recently got engaged to her longtime boyfriend and celebrated with fellow freed hostages after leaving the hospital.
Despite her outward happiness, her mother, Orly, knows the emotional scars of her ordeal will take time to heal.
“Daniella is happy to be free,” Orly told CNN. “She understands that we just live once, and she wants to do everything. She’s just a young girl.” However, she acknowledges that beneath the surface, her daughter is still processing the trauma of her captivity.
Daniella was among four young women alongside Naama Levy, Liri Albag, and Karina Ariev released on January 25 as part of a ceasefire deal. They were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where they served as unarmed military spotters. The assault, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the abduction of 250 people, led to a devastating conflict that has since claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.
During their captivity, the women endured harsh conditions. Some were forced to cook and clean for their captors, while others were confined in civilian apartments. Despite being physically close to their captors, they received little kindness. One former hostage credited Liri with saving her life by persuading the militants not to kill her.
Video footage from the day of their capture showed the young women bound, their clothes stained with blood, as they were lined up against a wall by armed men. For Naama’s mother, Ayelet Levy Shachar, the most harrowing moment came when she recognized her daughter in a viral video, being dragged by her hair into a vehicle.
Throughout their captivity, Naama found strength in the voices of her family. Occasionally, she overheard her parents or siblings speaking on the radio. “She waited to catch a glimpse of one of us,” Ayelet said. “She even followed the color of my hair during this time.”
Despite their release, the emotional weight of their ordeal lingers. Daniella and her fellow captives lost close friends in the October 7 attack. Orly knows that one day her daughter will talk about what happened, but for now, she does not press for details. “The loss of her friends is even harder for her than the captivity,” she said.
As the freed hostages begin their long road to recovery, the families of those still in captivity continue to fight for their return. With at least 73 people still being held in Gaza some believed to be dead the pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach another deal remains critical.
