Former Gaza hostage Elkana Bohbot and his wife, Rivka, announced the birth of their daughter in a Friday Instagram post.
Bohbot shared a photo of himself, his wife, and the newborn baby in the hospital in the post. Alongside the photo, he included a passage from the Book of Psalms, thanking God.
Bohbot was released from Hamas captivity on October 13, 2025, after spending more than two years in tunnels under Gaza.
As part of his recovery, he published a book titled 738 Days in Hamas Captivity, where he recounts his story of survival.
President Isaac Herzog congratulated the couple, passing on his best wishes.
“The real victory!” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter. “We wish you and your entire family good tidings as you raise her with tranquility, happiness, health, and love.”
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman also congratulated the couple on the birth of their daughter.
“May you raise her in peace and with lots of love. The entire nation of Israel is thrilled together with you.”
Former Hamas hostage marries her partner in Tel Aviv
Meanwhile, on Thursday, former Gaza hostage Emily Damari married her partner, Israeli food influencer Danielle “Dani” Amit, in a wedding celebration in Tel Aviv.
The couple had gotten engaged in January 2026, one year after Damari was released from Hamas captivity.
“For 471 days, she was held in captivity,” Damari’s mother, Mandy, said during the celebration. “And during those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine.”
Mandy added how grateful she was for Damari to have returned safely from Gaza captivity. “You fought so hard to survive,
Emily. You fought for your life when you were in captivity, and you fought your way back to us. And today, seeing you here, alive, happy, and beginning this new chapter is something I will never stop being grateful for.”
The couple was joined by numerous other former hostages at the wedding – including Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Omer Shem Tov, Keith and Aviva Siegel, and Gali and Ziv Berman.
Guests at the wedding were instructed not to wear any red, as it is the color of the rival soccer team to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Damari’s favorite.
The Democrats party leader Yair Golan congratulated Damari and Amit on their wedding in a post on X. “There are moments that remind us exactly why we’re here, and your wedding is one such moment,” he wrote.
“You’ve chosen each other, you’ve chosen a shared future, and there’s nothing more heart-expanding than that. Keep holding hands, supporting one another, and building a life of truth, of freedom, and of plenty of laughter.”
Dudi Patimer contributed to this report.
Dudi Patimer contributed to this report.