'They came back different': Mother of freed hostages shares how David and Ariel Cunio are rebuilding life after Hamas captivity

“It’s unbelievably fun to return to our previous life,” said Sylvia Cunio, the mother of brothers David and Ariel Cunio, who returned home after two years in Hamas captivity.

In her first interview since their release, she spoke on Tuesday on Kan Reshet Bet Radio about the family’s struggle to adjust to the new reality and the profound change her sons have undergone.

Sylvia said she received back sons who are “different” from those who were kidnapped. “I got back more mature sons – both physically and mentally,” she shared. “It’s about getting used to someone relatively new, because they see things differently now. They’re sharper, they’ve learned to survive, and they don’t care about tomorrow. They want to live in the moment.”

That realization, she said, comes from the harsh conditions they were held under. “There, they didn’t have a ‘tomorrow’ or even a ‘next minute,’” she explained. “They want to enjoy life now – even just drinking water, going to the bathroom whenever they want, showering with hot water whenever they want.” That basic freedom, she said, they now experience with renewed intensity.

Speaking about her son Ariel, who was held alone above ground, she said, “On the hot days he was kept in a closed warehouse, with no fan or anything to give him air. He almost died from the heat, like a child forgotten in a car. He begged them to bring him something to breathe.”

She added that he was allowed to shower only “once a month,” and had to use a bucket as a toilet. Her son David, who was held in a tunnel, also suffered harsh conditions. “There was a period when no food was getting into the Strip, and he lost a lot, a lot, a lot of weight. He was thin to begin with – he reached a weight you wouldn’t believe,” she revealed.

David, whose daughters grew up during the two years he was held captive, is now getting to know them again. “The girls talk so freely, and for him that was a joy,” said Sylvia. The entire family, originally from Kibbutz Nir Oz, is now adjusting to city life. “They didn’t know what it meant to live in a city, in an apartment building. They have to get used to it.”

Despite the difficulties and the trauma, Sylvia says that their spirits are good. Referring to the emotional homecoming video that went viral – showing the brothers reuniting with their family and surprising their partners – she said, “That’s their sense of humor. Especially David, he’s like me. The humor hasn’t been lost.”

Still, the road to recovery is long, and the full stories of what they went through have yet to be told. “I haven’t yet had the moment to talk to them one-on-one, alone. There are always other people around us, and it’s hard,” she says. “I don’t ask questions – whatever they want to share, they’ll share.”