Nimrod Cohen was only 19 when Hamas abducted him from a burning tank near Kibbutz Nir Im on October 7, 2023, along with the murdered bodies of fellow armored corps soldiers Omer Neutra, Oz Daniel, and Shaked Dahan. After two years of torture, health problems and psychological abuse, he is finally expected to return home to his family.
It is currently believed that Nimrod is alive and was most recently known to be held in the Khan Yunis area, according to the United Nations. He was also known to be held along with the Horn brothers and was captured in a Hamas propaganda video of the Argentinian siblings before Iair’s release.
While Nimrod’s father, Yehuda Cohen, told CBS News only days ago that Israeli officials have failed to provide any information on the condition he will return in, testimonies from released hostages suggest he will need treatment for a variety of physical and mental health issues.
The family was told that Nimrod was struggling with an untreated skin disease, had a rash all over his body, an ear infection and had become psychologically withdrawn.
"We don't know exactly in what condition, after two years, he will come out," Cohen said. "This is a big void. We want to get to that point and start rehabilitation."
Treatment in Hamas captivity
Last month, Cohen accused the IDF of withholding footage obtained of his son in captivity.
Released hostages shared that Hamas had been especially brutal in their treatment of Nimrod. Keeping him in a small cage intended for animals, with shackled hands, the terrorists were said to have interrogated Nimrod at length about his military service.
Beyond physical torture, the terrorists were said to have shown the 21-year-old Rehovot native videos on repeat of his friends being murdered on the day of the invasion.
Despite being said to have become withdrawn after the rounds of psychological torture, Nimrod was able to send a message to his family through hostages released in the February deal. "I am okay. Don't worry, I love you," he told them.
Cohen, who has been especially critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis and the rhetoric shared by the political echelon, described his son as “a normal boy who had the misfortune to do his duty to his country and serve in the army.”
Nimrod had only been 10 months into his service when he was taken, and was due to finish his military career in August.
His mother, Vicki, described Nimrod as a sensitive, introverted, and quiet young man with a huge heart. “From a young age, he was in scouting groups, always wanting to contribute meaningfully,” she told Ynet, speaking on the similarities he shared with his two brothers.