Rebecca Bohbot said she prayed for her husband’s return and that Trump announced the release of Elkana and the other hostages the same night.
By Shula Rosen
Six months after his return home, released hostage Elkana Bohbot and his wife, Rebecca, announced that they are expecting a daughter – a milestone the couple describes as both a personal and a symbolic victory as they continue rebuilding their lives after nearly two years apart.
The child will be their second, joining their 6-year-old son, Re’em. Rebecca said the news fulfilled prayers she had voiced publicly during her husband’s captivity, when she repeatedly expressed hope that they would one day expand their family.
“Last Sukkot, Re’em and I were staying at a hotel in Tiberias,” Rebecca said, recalling a conversation last October in which her son expressed sadness about not having siblings.
She said she prayed for her husband’s return, and that same night, President Donald Trump announced the release of Elkana and the other hostages.
Elkana said thoughts of his son growing up without a brother or sister weighed heavily on him during captivity. “For two years there, I ate my heart out, especially in the moments when I thought I wouldn’t come back,” he said.
Rebecca said she was initially overwhelmed after learning she was pregnant, given the family’s ongoing rehabilitation.
She ultimately came to view the pregnancy as a sign that her prayers had been answered. Elkana described the news as “a dream, a miracle,” adding, “There is no greater victory than that.”
Despite the joy surrounding the pregnancy, both say recovery remains ongoing. Elkana, who recently published 738 Days in Hamas Captivity with ghostwriter Eli Khalifa through Dani Books, said the psychological effects of captivity continue to shape daily life. “I came out of the tunnels, but the tunnels did not come out of me,” he said.
Rebecca said the couple is learning to navigate a changed reality. “Elkana is a different person from the one I knew, but I am also a different woman,” she said. “We are learning each other again and choosing each other again every day.”
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