Argentinian-Israeli national Ariel Cunio, the 28-year-old brother of fellow hostage David Cunio, is anticipated to return to Israel on Monday after being abducted from his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz more than two years ago.
Ariel, who was taken along with his partner Arbel Yehoud on October 7, had only enough time to text one of his three brothers that he felt he was in a “horror movie."
Nir Oz, known for its large South American population, was one of many civilian territories attacked by Hamas, with only six of its buildings left unscathed by the invading terrorists, according to the Guardian.
The Cunio family
The Cunio family, including the wife and children of David, were some of the 76 people kidnapped from the small southern Israel community, which saw 47 murdered by Hamas.
The family’s trauma on October 7 has captured global attention and been featured in a documentary. Ariel’s great-grandmother, Esther, became a symbol of Israeli survival after she escaped death while distracting invading terrorists with talks on the famed soccer player Lionel Messi.
“You watch soccer?” Esther asked the terrorist who had entered her home. “Well, I’m from the same country as Messi.” After that, the terrorist decided to take a photo with Cunio’s great-grandmother, which was featured across global media.
Little has been shared about Ariel’s time in captivity, though a released hostage confirmed in February that he was still alive.
Ariel’s family emigrated to Israel 40 years ago. Ariel’s father Luis explained to Israeli media that the family had come out of a strong sense of Zionist identity and loyalty to the Jewish state. Both David and Ariel were born and raised in Israel, entered the army, and dedicated their lives to the Kibbutz.
The youngest of four siblings, Ariel had just finished his computer studies degree when he was abducted.
He and his partner had celebrated starting the next chapter of their lives with a trip through South and Central America, which they had only recently returned from when they were taken. After returning from their travels, the pair had adopted a puppy, according to Juedische-Allgemeine.