On the eve of a planned hostage release, the mother of Nova festival abductee Elkana Bohbot urged Israelis to credit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the deal now moving forward.
“We got a little confused; we forgot that we have a prime minister,” Ruchama Bohbot said on Sunday. “We should thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for all the efforts, for all the courage, for all the achievements he achieved for us, and for bringing the hostages home.”
Hostages Square booed
Her remarks come as Israel prepares for the handover of hostages under the current ceasefire framework, with transfers expected to begin Monday. The comment also follows a public dust-up over the prime minister’s role after some in the crowd at Hostages Square booed when US envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned Netanyahu on Saturday night, condemnation of the booing quickly followed from cabinet ministers and opposition figure Benny Gantz.
Who is Elkana Bohbot
Elkana Bohbot, 36-years-old, of Mevaseret Zion, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival near Re’im, where he worked on the production team and helped evacuate the wounded as terrorists attacked. In the last year, Hamas circulated several propaganda videos showing him under duress. He is married to Rivka and is the father of a young son, commonly identified as Re’em/“Reem.” Family advocates have said he suffers from asthma and a chronic respiratory condition that went untreated in captivity.
Jerusalem Post reporting on Sunday profiled Bohbot ahead of the anticipated release, noting he helped plan the festival where two close friends were murdered, and that relatives have campaigned for his return for nearly two years.
Officials have cautioned that timetables and lists can shift as logistics are finalized, but planning continued late Sunday for transfers supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The expected release is part of the first phase of the ceasefire arrangement now in effect.
Bohbot’s mother said her focus is on reunion — and on national gratitude. “Thank God,” she said, voicing the hope that the agreement will “bring the hostages home” and allow the country to begin healing after two painful years.