Nimrod Cohen Freed — a moment of hope after two years of captivity. The 19-year-old IDF soldier, one of the youngest hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has finally returned home. Abducted from a burning tank near Kibbutz Nir Im, Nimrod Cohen Freed underlines the human cost of war — two years of torture, illness, and isolation. His release, part of a U.S.-brokered hostage deal under the new Trump peace plan, brings both relief and reflection across Israel.
00:00After two long and agonizing years, freedom has finally returned to a family in Israel.
00:1819-year-old IDF soldier Nimrod Cohen, one of the youngest hostages held by Hamas
00:24since the October 7, 2023 attack, has been released now. Cohen was abducted from a burning
00:31tank near Kibuz, near Im, along with the bodies of fellow soldiers. He was only 10 months into
00:37his service in Israel's Armored Corps. For months, the United Nations reported that Nimrod was being
00:43held in Khan Yunus, often alongside the Horn brothers, who appeared in Hamas propaganda
00:49videos before their own release. According to testimonies from other freed hostages,
00:55Nimrod suffered from untreated skin infections, ear disease, and deep psychological trauma.
01:01He had reportedly been kept in a small cage meant for animals. His hands shackled and was
01:06interrogated repeatedly about his military role. Despite it all, he managed to send a short message
01:13home earlier this year through other freed captives. I am okay. Don't worry. I love you.
01:20Nimrod's release is part of the latest hostage exchange deal mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the
01:26United States under the newly proposed Trump Peace Plan framework. 20 hostages were freed on Monday,
01:33Nimrod among them in exchange for Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
01:39Today, after 738 days, the last 20 living hostages have come home. After enduring the cruel captivity
01:52of the Hamas terrorist organization, today they return to their families, to their homes,
02:00and to their nations. This is a defining moment. A moment that belongs to the people of Israel and to all
02:11those who believe in humanity. A moment that belongs to the soldiers who fought with courage, to the
02:20families who waited in faith, and to the fallen whose sacrifice made this day possible. The IDF has
02:30kept its sacred promise to bring our people home. And we will not rest until the mission is complete.
02:41We are prepared for the return of all the fallen hostages and expect Hamas to abide by the terms of the agreement.
02:50On this night of Simchat Torah, when light returns after great darkness, we say together,
03:00Welcome home. Today, the state of Israel stands taller. From the depth of our pain, we have shown the world that Israel does not forget its people. No man or woman is left behind.
03:19May the return bring strength to us all.
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