Yarden Bibas revealed that during his captivity in Gaza, he asked former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to allow him to stay with his best friend, David Cunio, he told N12 in an interview aired on Tuesday, a day before Cunio’s 35th birthday.
The interview also featured David’s twin brother, Eitan, and his wife, Sharon Cunio, in an attempt to bring renewed attention to David’s continued captivity.
A chance meeting in the tunnels
Yarden told N12 about the emotional moment he reunited with David during captivity in November 2023 — the day Sharon and her two daughters were released after 53 days.
“He passed through my tunnel,” Yarden said. “When he saw me, he was shocked. He thought I was a ghost. I didn’t recognize him at first either. We hugged, and then he continued.”
On the day he learned from Hamas about his family’s murders, Yarden asked to be transferred to David’s group. “I was afraid to ask,” he admitted. “But after the video, I knew I needed to be near him.”
According to N12, that request may have saved his life. “The people I had been with — Haim Perry, Yoram Metzger, Alex Danzig, Nadav Popplewell, Avraham Munder, and Vigev Buchstab — were later murdered by Hamas during an IDF operation in Khan Yunis,” he said.
Support, even in separation
“I was with David for what I think was about two or maybe three weeks, and then we were separated—even though I asked Sinwar. He asked me, ‘What can I do to help you?’ and I told him, ‘I want you to let me stay with David.'”
“I told him, ‘He’s my best friend. I want to stay with him,” Bibas said. “He told me, ‘No problem. You’ll stay with him.”
“But it didn’t happen,” Yarden told N12.
Despite being apart, they continued to find ways to support each other. “One time, David passed other hostages and sent a pillow for me,” he recalled. “Occasionally, we’d run into each other in the tunnels — a quick hug, a few words, then keep moving.”
Before his release, Yarden said his final words to David were, “I love you. It’ll be okay.”
“I don’t know how he’s doing now,” he said. “I hope he knows everyone is waiting for him.”
Holding on to hope in captivity
In the interview, Yarden described the terrifying moments in Gaza when fighting between the IDF and Hamas resumed.
“You don’t know if it’s near or far. You hear bombs, gunfire — and you can’t do anything,” he said.
To stay hopeful, Yarden said he focused on his wife, Shiri, and their sons. “That’s what kept me going. I think David is holding on to similar thoughts — coming home, seeing Sharon and the girls.”
Sharon agreed. “We can’t lose hope,” she said. “But we’ve had so many false starts — so many times we were told, ‘It’s happening tomorrow.’ And then it collapses.”
“It’s the same for them inside,” Yarden added. “You hear there’s a deal. You start hoping, even when you don’t want to.”
A family’s pain continues
Since October 7, Sharon said she has had no routine, living only for her daughters. “I put on my ‘mom’ face,” she said. “But in between — I collapse.”
Although Yarden has been released, he said the guilt remains. “I slept on the same mattresses. Now I have a bed, hot water, food — and I feel guilty.”
Sharon echoed that sentiment. “Sometimes I get angry at the girls if they waste food,” she said. “I think, your dad may not be eating today. But it’s not their fault. They’re kids.”
‘Only then can we start healing’
Yarden closed the interview with a plea. “It’s so important they come back,” he said. “Only then can we start healing, figure out what kind of life is next. I don’t know where I’ll be. I just want to reach the point where I can decide.”
Jesus Christ is King
