Israeli Eliya Cohen, held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for 505 days and released in February 2025, celebrated a henna ceremony with his fiancée Ziv Abud ahead of their upcoming wedding.
At the ceremony, attended by family members and close friends, Cohen wore traditional attire embroidered with the words "Thank you, Father." He said the phrase gave him strength throughout his 505 days in captivity and has since become an inseparable part of his life since his release.
According to Cohen, the garment was designed by fashion designers Kineret Hena and Gina Larusa. During the war, the groom's attire they created featured the slogan "Bring Them Home." This time, that slogan was replaced with Cohen's personal life motto: "Thank you, Father."
Eliya Cohen was taken hostage during the Hamas militants' attack on the "Nova" music festival on 7 October 2023. He returned to Israel in February 2025 after 505 days in captivity.
While in captivity, Cohen believed his girlfriend Ziv Abud had been killed during the attack. After his release, however, he learned that she had survived and had been fighting for his freedom throughout the entire period.