Hostage Survivor Roni Gonen Discharged After Five Months in Hospital

Romi Gonen, a survivor of Hamas captivity in Gaza, was discharged Thursday from Sheba Medical Center after five months of rehabilitation. The 23-year-old, who was abducted during the October 7 massacre and released as part of a hostage deal, posted an emotional message on Instagram as she took her first steps out of the hospital.

“I’ve been in Israel for almost half a year now, and nearly five of those months I’ve spent in a hospital,” she wrote. “Today I’m taking another step toward freedom.”

Gonen was abducted during the Nova music festival and taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists. Since her release, she has undergone surgeries, endured physical and emotional pain, and faced the long path of healing. In her post, she reflected on the weight of time and trauma: “It’s hard to grasp how many things we’ve gone through here—good and bad—while for them, in the tunnels, time doesn’t move at all.”

Joining her at the farewell was Emily Damari, another hostage survivor who shared captivity with Gonen in Gaza and has since become a close friend. The two embraced at the hospital’s symbolic release ceremony, offering a glimpse of joy and resilience.

In her message, Gonen also honored the hostages who remain in Gaza. “The hostages are still not here, and my heart is with them in Gaza,” she wrote. “I just wanted peace and quiet. I needed to know what it means to truly be free—not tied to any place. Just doing what I want to do.”

She ended her post with a message of hope: “I pray we become a united and whole people again. A people of love and joy, of care and compassion. We only have each other.”