The father of the boyfriend of Daniella Gilboa - who is currently held hostage by Hamas, recalled his son asking Gilboa's parents for her hand in marriage, as well as discussing the sentiment of the hostage's loved ones following a video released that showed her still captive in Gaza.
Gilboa, originally from Petah Tikva, was abducted by Hamas on the day of a massacre last October and appeared in a propaganda video released by the terrorist organization on Friday.
The video shows Gilboa, who had been kidnapped from a base near the border and had previously been seen in a video believed to have been filmed on the day of her abduction. The video shows her with two other female hostages, Karina Ariev and Doron Steinbrecher.
The father of Daniella's boyfriend shared insights in an interview with Maariv, where he discussed the mixed emotions within Gilboa's family, expressing relief at her being alive and in relatively good physical condition.
"In her family, there is a feeling of relief alongside a feeling of disappointment; they are still confused. They were happy to see the video of her alive, but they are also a little reserved," he explained.
For seven weeks, there had been no information about Daniella, and it was only with the release of the video that her family and loved ones learned of her condition.
New signs of life replenished a sense of hope in Daniella's loved ones
The father noted, "We received the news with much more joy than her family, to suddenly see her alive. We saw that she was wounded in her leg, and now we see that she is in relatively good physical condition. She looks strong, so that encourages all of us. It gives us not only hope but real happiness."
He also noted the importance of details in the recent video, mentioning Gilboa's statement that it was the "107th day," in captivity, while the video was released on the 111th day. He then acknowledged the concerns of her parents, saying, "We understand that her parents are more reserved and that it is more difficult for them. We are supporting them, wishing that she would return as soon as possible."
Sharing a touching moment from three weeks ago, he recounted, "They had a dedication of a Torah scroll, and my son asked her parents for her hand in marriage, to which they answered yes, even though they are only 19-20 years old. Right after that, he shouted to the sky - 'I'm going to propose to you!'
"He prays that she will come back soon and be reunited with him and her family."