Eliya Cohen & Ziv Abud: 505 Days as a Gazan Hostage Couldn’t Keep Them Apart
January 10, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"I Was Fighting for Someone Who Didn't Even Know I Was Alive"
On October 6, 2023, Eliya Cohen and Ziv Abud were a young couple living together in Tel Aviv, best friends before they were romantic partners. They loved to travel, walk together, and share a regular life. Twenty-four hours later, everything changed.
At 4:40 AM on October 7, they arrived at the Nova Music Festival after being persuaded by their friend Elkana Buchbut to attend. Eliya remembers hugging people and talking with them longer than usual—and now realizes that every person he spent an extra minute with did not come home that night. At 6:29 AM, the music stopped.
The Shelter and the Separation
When the attack began, Eliya and Ziv drove for six minutes before receiving a call from Eliya's cousin saying someone was shooting at her car. They stopped at a bomb shelter near a bus stop—a small room without doors, designed only to protect against missiles. Twenty-nine people packed inside a space meant for ten.
When the terrorists arrived, they threw grenade after grenade into the shelter. Eliya took dead bodies and covered Ziv with them, which likely saved her life. After more grenades and gunfire, Eliya was shot in the leg. The last thing Ziv remembers before losing consciousness is Eliya screaming, "It will be okay."
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 Timestamped Outline
- 2 (00:00) **Opening: The Worst Day** - Ziv describes learning that Eliya didn't know she was alive for 491 days
- 3 (02:04) **Life Before October 7th** - Eliya and Ziv describe their normal, loving relationship in Tel Aviv
- 4 (03:56) **The Festival and the Attack** - The couple arrives at Nova and experiences the moment everything changed
- 5 (05:43) **The Shelter: Separation and Survival** - The couple takes refuge in a bomb shelter where the attack unfolds
- 6 (08:41) **Learning of the Kidnapping** - Ziv discovers Eliya is alive but captured through a Hamas Telegram channel
- 7 (09:18) **Eliya's Gratitude Amid Terror** - Despite being beaten and attacked entering Gaza, Eliya felt grateful to be alive
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Inspiration for the Nation is the weekly Jewish podcast from Living Lchaim, hosted by Yaakov Langer.
Eliya Cohen was kidnapped by Hamas and held hostage in Gaza for 505 days. Ziv Abud survived the October 7 massacre by hiding in a bomb shelter, believing Eliya was gone, while he had no idea she was alive. Captivity, survival, faith, emunah, bitachon, tefillah, unanswered prayers, hope, trauma, resilience, Jewish strength, love, and miracles all collide in one story. Today, against every odd, they are engaged to be married. A true story of survival, faith in God, and love that endured Hamas terror, war, and darkness.
Help Eliya Here:
► Donate Towards Their Wedding: https://bit.ly/4bmdUI4
► Order His Book: https://bit.ly/450yfyS
► Book Them To Talk: email [email protected]
✬ SPONSORS OF THE EPISODE ✬
► United Refua Healthshare: Spend Less, Save More, Get CareImagine healthcare that puts you first - and can save you thousands.Enroll here→ https://bit.ly/3MD9RN9→ 440-772-0700→ Eli's Kosher Money Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnNaMEumWQg&t=4s
► BitBean: Smart Custom Software Built for YouYaakov here. Just make the call. They can help you.Reach Out Here→ https://bitbean.link/MeEBlY
► New Book: The Most Important Jewish Project You Will Ever Build Together Forever by Roy and Leah Neuberger draws on over sixty years of marriage to turn the forty-eight ways of acquiring Torah into practical, everyday guidance for building a strong, respectful, and lasting Jewish marriage.15% OFF with code INSPIRE→ https://bit.ly/4jxor5f
► Legacy Tours: The #1 Jewish AdventureAn unmatched, five-star Legacy Kosher Tours journey through Argentina that blends deep Jewish history in Buenos Aires, breathtaking natural wonders like Patagonia and Iguazú Falls, a private kosher Gaucho ranch experience, inspiring Torah with Rabbi Mordechai Becher and Rabbi Yaakov Lehrfield, and flawless mehadrin kosher luxury from start to finish.→ Call, Text, WhatsApp: 224-735-0015→ Email [email protected].
► Wheels To Lease: #1 Car CompanyFor over 35 years, Wheels To Lease has offered stress-free car buying with upfront pricing, no hidden fees, and door-to-door delivery.Call today!→ CALL/TEXT: 718-871-8715→ EMAIL: [email protected]→ WEB: https://bit.ly/41lnzYU→ WHATSAPP: https://wa.link/0w46ce
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
01:44 A Moment of Holiness
02:02 Life Before October 7th
02:48 The Fateful Day of October 7th
04:06 Hamas Infiltrates the Festival
05:36 Surviving the Bomb Shelter
08:56 Being Taken Captive by Hamas
10:22 Eliya and Ziv’s Relationship With God
11:07 Going Into Gaza as a Hostage
12:15 The Many Miracles in Gaza
13:47 Ziv Fighting for Eliya for 505 Days
14:57 Being Moved From Place to Place in Gaza
16:20 Meeting Hersh Goldberg Polin
18:12 Planning an Escape
21:01 The Best Prices at Wheels to
More from this podcast
Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer →