Sharon Alony Cunio, her husband, David Cunio, and their 3-year-old twins, Emma and Yuli, were hiding in their bomb shelter in Kibbutz Nir Oz with Sharon’s sister, Danielle Alony, and her 5-year-old daughter, Amelia, when they were taken hostage on Oct. 7. The last message their family received from them on WhatsApp read, “Help, we’re dying.”
Their family members, including a cousin, Alana Zeitchik, have shared their story and pleaded for their release in meetings with political leaders around the world.
Danielle and Amelia Alony were released on Friday.
Ms. Zeitchik described Emma and Yuli as “the happiest twins you could ever imagine.” Their cousin Amelia, Ms. Zeitchik said, is the star of the family. “She’s this sharp, witty clever little girl, you can’t really get anything past her.”
“The damage that has been done to these children, this suffering and pain, it doesn’t end with their release,” she said, adding, “Their return is shrouded in a lot of pain and trauma.”
David Cunio, 33, is believed to still be in Gaza.
Karina Engelbert, 51; Mika Engel, 18; Yuval Engel, 11
Karina Engelbert, 51, and her entire family, including her husband, Ronen Engel, 54, and their daughters, Mika, 18, and Yuval, 11, were taken from the safe room inside their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
When she was taken, Ms. Engelbert was still recovering from a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery that had gone awry. She was weak and easily fatigued, and a buildup of painful scar tissue on her chest caused tightness, limiting her mobility.
“We don’t know if she’s getting any medical treatment, if anyone is taking care of her, if she is getting any pain relief or any of the medication she needs to keep the cancer from coming back,” Ms. Engelbert’s brother Diego Engelbert said last week.
Ronen Engel is believed to still be in Gaza.
