Daniella Gilboa to perform at Sydney Opera House following hostage ordeal

Daniella Gilboa, a 22-year-old Israeli musician and former reconnaissance soldier, is set to perform at the Sydney Opera House. Her appearance marks one of her first performances before an international audience following her release from Hamas captivity.

Gilboa was abducted on October 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz base near the Gaza Strip along with four other women. During her 477 days in captivity, she used music as a form of therapy. Because her captors forbade her from singing in Hebrew, she learned to recite Jewish prayers in Arabic, such as ‘Shalom Aleichem’, to observe the Shabbat and provide comfort to fellow hostages through quiet singing.

Gilboa has been writing music since the age of seven, describing it as a way to express her feelings when she felt misunderstood.