Who is Daniella Gilboa, the hostage set for release on Saturday?

Daniella, now 20, is a talented singer with a winning smile. She is funny and stands out in any environment, loved ones shared about her.

Hamas announced on Friday that, as part of the second release of the first phase of a hostage-ceasefire agreement, the terror group would release Daniella Gilboa on Saturday.

As part of the first release last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher

Daniella, now 20, is a talented singer with a winning smile. She is funny and stands out in any environment, loved ones shared about her.

Daniella was originally named Danielle, but her parents changed her name after she was abducted to Gaza, following the recommendation of a rabbi.

“Two weeks after her abduction, Daniel Gilboa’s parents spoke to a rabbi who recommended giving her a second name and changing her name from Daniel to Daniella,” the Hostage Family Forum said.

“In Hebrew, adding the letter ה’ (which means God and sounds like ‘a’) to the end of a name symbolizes adding divine protection to the person,” the forum explained.

Daniella’s mother has mentioned this in interviews, saying that her dream is for her daughter to scold her for the change when she returns safely home.

Along with her friends and family, Gilboa’s boyfriend of eight years is awaiting her return. His father previously told Israeli media that his son had sought Gilboa’s parents’ blessing to propose to their daughter.

What do we know about the abduction of Daniella Gilboa?
She was taken captive from the Nahal Oz Outpost along with other IDF observers. Footage of the abduction, in which the women are seen held by Hamas terrorists in the bases’ shelter, some of them bloodied and wounded, was released by the families in May.

Gilboa has appeared in multiple videos released by her terrorist captors. In a July video, Gilboa directed criticism at the government.

The footage released reassured the many that wounds to Gilboa’s leg sustained on October 7 had not proven more deadly, Gilboa’s boyfriend’s father told Maariv.

“I don’t know when or if I’ll ever return home. I’m under constant bombardment and gunfire 24 hours a day. I’m terrified for my life. At one point, your bombs nearly killed me,” she said. “Where were you on October 7 when I was taken from my bed? Where are you now? Why do I, as a soldier who gave 100% of myself to the country and served in such difficult conditions in the Gaza envelope, have to feel abandoned and discarded by you?”

“In the footage, she appears strong and determined, but psychological assessments we’ve received indicate her poor mental state,” Gilboa’s mother, Orly Gilboa, said after the footage was released.