Emma Cunio

Freed November 27, 2023

Sharon Aloni Cunio, a 34-year-old Israeli, endured a harrowing ordeal after being taken hostage by Hamas terrorists along with her husband David and their twin three-year-old daughters, Yuli and Emma, during the attacks on Israel that occurred on October 7. Her family's home in Kibbutz Nir Oz was set ablaze by the attackers, leading to their abduction. Sharon and her daughters were held captive for more than 50 days, much of this time spent in a Gaza hospital, which she recounted as a period marked by fear, uncertainty, and despair​​.

During her captivity, Sharon faced the immense challenge of not only fearing for her own life but also the well-being of her young daughters. The conditions they endured were dire, with limited access to food, sanitation, and basic human necessities. Brutally, at one point her family was split, with one of her daughters, Emma, being held separately for 10 days before they were reunited. Sharon has described the daily struggle for survival, including rationing food like pita bread and coping with the lack of proper facilities for basic needs like using the toilet​​.

Sharon's account sheds light on the use of civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, for holding hostages, raising serious humanitarian and ethical concerns. Despite her eventual release along with her daughters during a weeklong truce at the end of November, her freedom was overshadowed by the heartache of leaving her husband, David Cunio, behind, who remains captive​​ in Gaza.