Video shows emotional scene "You're coming home" - hostage mother speaks to her son for the first time
Poignant scenes from Israel: For the first time in almost two years, relatives were able to speak to hostages who are still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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- Relatives of several hostages were able to speak to their abducted family members again for the first time via video call.
- Among those seen were Matan Zangauker, brothers David and Ariel Cunio and Nimrod Cohen.
- According to the Israeli military, this could be a staged gesture by Hamas, shortly before the expected releases.
Moving footage has emerged in Israel: for the first time since their abduction almost two years ago, relatives were able to speak directly to their loved ones held in Gaza. Hamas had apparently allowed several hostages to contact their families via video call.
In one of the videos, Einav Zangauker can be seen talking to her son Matan Zangauker - one of the best-known hostage names from the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. "You are coming home - you are all coming home. There is no more war," she says in tears.
Several hostages already free
Hebrew media also published still images of further conversations. They show the brothers David and Ariel Cunio and the soldier Nimrod Cohen. In the footage, the men are apparently wearing uniforms similar to those worn by previous hostages when they were released in January and February 2025.
Silvia Cunio, the mother of the two brothers, told Channel 12 News that she "heard nothing, but saw them - and that's enough". Yotam Cohen, Nimrod's brother, reported that he had told him he looked "as good as ever". Nimrod replied that he was fine, that he loved her and just wanted to see her again.
Seven hostages have already been released in the past few hours . 13 more are expected to follow in the next few hours (as of 8.52 a.m.)