498 Days Separation: Former Hamas Hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen Are Engaged
Thursday, 10 July 2025 | Nearly five months after being released from captivity in Gaza, Israeli hostage Sasha Troufanov has proposed to his longtime partner, Sapir Cohen, who was also held by Hamas terrorists.
Troufanov, who spent 498 days in captivity, was freed as part of the most recent hostage deal. Cohen, who was abducted with him from his family's home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 Hamas-led attack, was released in November 2023 along with Troufanov’s mother, Yelena, and grandmother, Irina.
Troufanov immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union with his parents at age 3. He grew up in Kibbutz Nir Oz and later studied electrical engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. After graduating, he moved to central Israel and began working at Amazon.
He and Cohen were visiting his family for the Simchat Torah [Rejoicing in Torah] holiday when the attack occurred. Troufanov’s father, Vitaly, was killed during the assault.
Cohen, a native of Kiryat Ata in northern Israel, was held hostage for several weeks. Her parents, Ziva and Eli, and her three brothers—Aviv, Barak and Eden—campaigned publicly for her release throughout her captivity.
The couple has not yet announced a wedding date.
(This article was originally published by Ynetnews on July 9, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)
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