Two former Israeli hostages who were held separately by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip have become engaged following their release.
Alexander (“Sasha”) Troufanov, 29, and his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, 30, were visiting Troufanov’s family at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, when they were abducted by Palestinian Arab terrorists in a border invasion led by Hamas.
Troufanov’s mother, Yelena, and grandmother, Irena Tati, were also kidnapped. His father, Vitaly, was killed during the massacre.
The three women, including Sapir, were released during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023.
Sasha Troufanov was held hostage by Hamas for 498 days. Sapir Cohen was held for 55 days.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 9, 2025
They both survived brutal captivity, but returned home to rebuild their lives.
Now, they’re newly engaged and choosing hope.
This is resilience. These are our people.
50 hostages are… pic.twitter.com/vkgbT0ADY9
Troufanov, who was held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was released in February after 498 days in captivity.
Afterwards, Cohen said her boyfriend told her that he had prayed during captivity that she would find someone else to love, believing he would never make it home.
