Who is Arbel Yehud, freed Hamas hostage?
After 482 days in captivity, and after Hamas and Palestinian islamic Jihad refused to release her on at least 2 occasions, Arbel Yehud is finally coming home.
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On a quiet morning in Kibbutz Nir Oz, before dawn painted the sky on October 7, 2023, Arbel Yehud went about her usual routine. The 29-year-old German-Israeli had recently adopted a dog, was deeply in love with her boyfriend Ariel Cunio, and had built a life teaching children about space and technology at GrooveTech learning center. No one could have predicted that within hours, her world would be violently upended.
As a third-generation resident of Nir Oz, Arbel's roots ran deep in the kibbutz soil. Her grandfather was a respected artist, and she had followed her own path into education, becoming known for her vibrant personality and the passionate way she shared her love of science with young minds. Among family and friends, she was the doting aunt who filled rooms with music and laughter.
The attack that took her changed everything. In the chaos of that October morning, Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz, taking both Arbel and her boyfriend Ariel. In the same attack, her brother Dolev was killed – a truth her family would only learn later, having initially believed he too had been taken captive.
For 477 days, Arbel's empty home in Nir Oz stood as a testament to loss. Her family channeled their grief into action, becoming vocal advocates for her release. Her father, Yechti Yehud, spoke repeatedly of his daughter's civilian status, of her work with children, of her right to freedom. The family worked tirelessly to keep her story alive, even as days turned to weeks, and weeks to months.
On January 25, 2025, a video released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad showed Arbel alive, offering her family their first glimpse of her in over 15 months. Though criticized by Israel as psychological warfare, the video provided proof of life that her family had desperately sought.
The negotiations for her release became entangled in the complex web of ceasefire talks. Her dual German-Israeli citizenship added international dimensions to her case, though her family expressed frustration with Berlin's perceived lack of forceful action. Through Qatar's and Egypt's mediation, her name became a crucial point in hostage release negotiations.
Today, after 477 days in captivity, Arbel Yehud has returned home. Her story is both uniquely personal and tragically universal – one of thousands affected by the events of October 7, yet singular in its details: a young woman who taught children about the stars, who loved her dog and her boyfriend, who carried her family's legacy in the kibbutz she called home.
Her release marks not just a personal victory but a reminder of those still held captive, including her boyfriend Ariel Cunio. As she begins the long process of healing, her story shows two incredible concepts: both the human capacity for survival and the unbreakable bonds of family and community that sustained the fight for her freedom.
The classroom where she once taught children about space and technology awaits her return. But for now, the simple fact of her freedom is enough – a bright star in a dark sky, guiding hope for those still waiting for their loved ones to come home.
The New York Times, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, BBC, and New York Post contributed to this article.
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