‘He Prayed I Would Find Someone Else to Love’
Stand for Israel | February 17, 2025
Today marks the 500th day of war in Israel. And as hostages slowly return home during phase one of the hostage deal, one recently released hostage reunites with his girlfriend. She says she waited for him, despite not being sure of his fate, reports The Times of Israel:
“Thank God I have the privilege to stand here today,” Sapir Cohen told media at Sheba Medical Center.
“Last night, Sasha told me that during all this time [since he was taken hostage and held in Gaza], he prayed for me to find a man to love, prayed that I wouldn’t wait for him,” she said, her voice shaking. “He didn’t want me waiting for a man he thought would never return home. He didn’t believe he would survive.”
Cohen and Troufanov were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, along with Sasha’s mother and grandmother. The three women were freed during a November 2023 ceasefire.
With Troufanov safely home following his release on Saturday, Cohen said she’d now fulfilled the dreams she’d had since October 7, “dreams I never thought in my life I would have: to come home alive from captivity in Gaza and getting to hug Sasha again.”
