Photo by
IDF Spokesperson/TPS-IL on 22 January, 2025
‘There Is Life After Death,’ Says Freed Captive Romi Gonen in First Social Media Post
Jerusalem, 22 January, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- In her first social media post since being freed from Gaza, former hostage Romi Gonen wrote on Wednesday morning, “There is life after death.”
The Instagram post included a photo of Gonen and her mother embracing after her return to Israel.
“I can’t believe I’m screenshotting right now… sometimes dreams come true,” she said of the image.
“I wanted to stop a moment and say thanks to the people of Israel, my family and friends. The prayers and strength you sent accompanied us the entire way and helped us believe this nightmare will ultimately end,” Gonen wrote.
She added, “It will take more time to process and thank you all. It must be remembered that there are 94 more hostages in Gaza who are dying for us to save them. The people of Israel live and with the help of God we’ll continue to receive good news in the coming weeks.”
Gonen, a waitress from Tel Aviv, was abducted from the Nova Music Festival after three people in a car with her were murdered. Gonen’s last words in a desperate phone call to her mother were, “They shot me, Mom and I’m bleeding. Everyone in the car is bleeding.” One of the hostages freed during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023 told Gonen’s family that Romi was alive but in bad health.
She was free along with Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari after 471 days in captivity.
The first phase of the ceasefire will see 30 more Israeli hostages freed over several weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many of the hostages are alive. The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire. Critics say the phased approach condemns hostages not freed in the beginning to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 94 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead.
