Ziv and Eli-H Cohen Rebuild Their Relationship After His Hamas Captivity

Eli-H Cohen and his partner Ziv Avod are marrying after a challenging period of rebuilding their relationship following Eli-H's 505-day captivity in Hamas tunnels. During his captivity, Eli-H believed Ziv had been killed in a bomb shelter, while Ziv feared that the long separation might have caused him to emotionally block her. Upon reuniting, they discovered their love remained but acknowledged that both had changed since before October 7, the date of his abduction.

Eli-H described the difficulty of transitioning quickly from captivity to couplehood, noting moments of frustration with traits he previously overlooked. He emphasized that their decision to stay together was rooted in love and a conscious choice to focus on the positive. Ziv highlighted a turning point when they stopped comparing their current relationship to the one before the attack, accepting that they were building a new relationship with new dynamics.

They also faced challenges in communication, as Ziv began using terms like "triggers" and "panic attacks" reflecting her trauma, which Eli-H initially found hard to relate to. Ziv admitted that the contrast between their public image and private reality was difficult early on, and they had to work very hard to make their relationship what it is today.