Israeli Hostage Arbel Yehoud Survives 482 Days of Captivity and Abuse, Credits Boyfriend for Survival

The harrowing ordeal of Arbel Yehoud, an Israeli hostage held in Gaza for 482 days, has only now been fully revealed. The 30-year-old, who was freed in January 2025, has spoken out after witnessing the courage of fellow captive Romi Gonen, 25, who detailed her own experiences of sexual assault. Yehoud's account sheds light on the brutal reality of her captivity, where she endured psychological, physical, and sexual abuse almost every day. She described multiple attempts to take her own life, driven by the unbearable trauma of being separated from her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, 28, whom she was kidnapped with. 'Every time, I remembered Ariel, and that gave me the strength to keep breathing,' she said, acknowledging the singular force that kept her alive.

Yehoud's ordeal began in October 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz. She and Cunio, along with their puppy Murph, hid under their bed as attackers searched their home. 'I put my hand over her mouth to stop her barking... but it didn't help,' Yehoud recounted, echoing the horror of Holocaust survivors who suffocated children to silence them. Murph was shot and killed before their eyes, an event that Yehoud said haunted her for years. Both she and Cunio were separated after being captured, each sent to different hideouts. Their only connection was through smuggled love notes, which they exchanged despite the risk of severe punishment.

The notes were brief but powerful: 'I'm okay. I love you. Stay strong.' Yehoud described the messages as a lifeline, a reminder that someone was fighting for her even in silence. 'It gave me strength,' Cunio later said. 'It reminded me that I wasn't alone, that someone was fighting with me, even in silence.' But the connection was cut off months later when captors warned Cunio that mentioning Yehoud's name could result in her death. For over a year, they lived in isolation, each uncertain of the other's survival.

Yehoud's captivity included periods of starvation, forced conversion attempts, and interrogations. She was held in refugee camps with other hostages, including a baby who was four months old when she was captured and 15 months old when she was released. The child, who carried a knife by the time of her release, once pointed a gun at her during a tense moment. 'Three days before I left, the baby aimed a gun at me,' Yehoud said. 'He was playing with it. He pointed it at me while I begged his mother to take it down.'

Her release came alone, in a mob of Hamas fighters. 'I remember stepping out and seeing that sea of green headbands,' she said. 'I was the only woman. My mind was trying to process — am I free? But I'm still surrounded by them?' Despite the fear, Yehoud's thoughts were fixed on Cunio. 'I had to survive. My thoughts were of Ariel — I had to get back to him.' When she finally reunited with Cunio in October 2025, the couple described their bond as the key to enduring 15 months in captivity. 'The possibility that we would meet again. That we might still have a life together,' Yehoud said, explaining what kept her going.

Now free, the couple faces the challenge of rebuilding their lives. Their home in Nir Oz is gone, and they have no place to return. Yet, they remain determined to support each other through the trauma of their captivity. They are raising funds for rehabilitation, a process that includes coping with sleepless nights, flashbacks, and the struggle to trust the world again. 'Since returning, I haven't truly returned to life,' Yehoud said, acknowledging the long road ahead for survivors of such extreme violence and loss.