October 7 · Personal story
Emilia Aloni
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Nir Oz, during a visit to her aunt Sharon Aloni-Conio and family.
Current outcome
Released alive · November 24, 2023
Released with her mother on November 24, 2023, after 49 days in captivity, and returned to Israel.
01
A visit with her mother
Five-year-old Emilia came to Nir Oz with her mother, Danielle, to visit her aunt Sharon and cousins Emma and Yuli. Sharon and her husband, David Cunio, lived in the kibbutz. Emilia was spending the holiday weekend with this extended family when the attack began. Danielle was raising Emilia as a single mother. Their visit brought her daughter together with the three-year-old twins in Sharon’s home. The two sisters and their children were in the same house on October 7.
02
Taken from the family home
Emilia sheltered with her mother and relatives while David held the safe-room door against the attackers. Danielle later described smoke spreading after the house was set on fire. She held her daughter close as the family tried to escape. Danielle said armed men took her, Emilia and her niece Emma away in a vehicle. Sharon, David and Yuli were taken separately. During the journey, Danielle held Emma’s hand as well as caring for Emilia, until captors pulled Emma away. Mother and daughter remained together in Gaza.
03
Days held with her mother
Danielle described a long walk through tunnels at the beginning of captivity. Emilia eventually fell asleep on her. Other captives, including Yocheved Lifshitz, were with them. After three days in a cave, mother and daughter were moved to a dark apartment and later to another family home. A guard stayed at the entrance around the clock. Everyday actions required permission, and there was little to occupy Emilia. Danielle found a small pop-it toy and played with her. She tried to keep afternoon naps as part of their days. In her later interview, she described caring for her daughter while hiding her own distress until Emilia was asleep.
04
Returned with Danielle
Emilia and Danielle were released together on November 24, 2023, after 49 days in captivity. They returned to Israel and were taken to Schneider Children’s Medical Center. Photographs published on November 25 showed Emilia embracing her grandmother. The hospital shared the reunion photographs with the family’s permission. Three days after Emilia’s release, her aunt Sharon and cousins Emma and Yuli also returned. Her uncle David remained in Gaza. The November releases reunited the women and children, while the family continued waiting for him.
05
Family gathered again
On December 5, 2023, Emilia returned to her kindergarten in Yavne. Her mother and grandfather accompanied her. She had visited her teacher the previous day to prepare for returning, and friends and staff welcomed her with hugs. David Cunio and his brother Ariel returned to Israel on October 13, 2025. In an interview later that month, Danielle described entering their hospital room and embracing them. She also described David reading stories to his own daughters and putting them to bed again. Nearly two years after Emilia’s release, another part of her extended family had come home.