“It’s simply a miracle. He looks great. He’s thin and pale, but besides that, a ten. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, like a second birthday.”
Omri Miran, 48, who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was reunited with his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, and father. Omri and Lishay wore matching T-shirts designed by their daughters, Roni, 4, and Alma, 2 – whom Omri spoke to via a video call. Alma was just six months old when Omri was taken.
In a photo of Roni and Alma, posted by their mother, the girls were seen smiling and clutching a suitcase each. In an accompanying message, Miran-Lavi wrote: “Prepared and ready for Daddy Omri,” adding a yellow heart emoji.
There were jubilant scenes across Israel on Monday, as all living hostages remaining in Gaza were released after 737 days in Hamas captivity.
Twins Gali and Ziv Berman, 28 – who had been held separately by Hamas – were pictured embracing as they were reunited at the Re’im IDF base. Later the pair, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, were seen wearing matching Maccabi Tel Aviv jerseys as they made their way back to Israel.
Gali and Ziv, who are close friends with Emily Damari, were among the first seven hostages to be released at 8am Jerusalem time, along with Matan Engerst, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor and Omari Moran.
Released hostage Alon Ohel gestures to well wishers upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
The remaining 13 hostages – Bar Kupershtein, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Elkana Bobot, Avinatan Or, Maxim Herkin, Segev Kalfon, Eitan Horn, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavsk – were released later in the morning. The bodies of 28 deceased hostages will be handed over later, a Hamas official said, as a taskforce works to locate their missing remains.
Relatives of deceased hostages, residents of nearby kibbutzim and Israelis from across the country gathered along Road 232, near the entrance to Camp Re’im, where the freed hostages arrived after being transferred by the International Committee of the Red Cross to IDF forces.
Speaking to the JC at the Re’im base, Zamir Haimi, uncle of hostage Tal Haimi, said: “It was very important for me to be here today. My family will not receive Tal back alive, and there are likely more families who won’t see their loved ones return either, but it’s important to be here for those coming home today and for their families. We’ve become one big family over the last two years. I’m happy for them – I feel their joy.
“For Tal, it’s too soon to say what will happen,” he added. “I hope we find all the deceased hostages whose locations are still unknown. As for Israel, we will have to rebuild and heal.” Groups from southern kibbutzim – including Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, and Kramim – also gathered near the Re’im base to welcome the freed captives.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, nine of whose residents were taken hostage, saw four return alive: brothers Ariel and David Cunio, Eitan Horn, and Matan Zangauker. “We hope the deceased will be returned too,” said Yamit Avital of Nir Oz. “We’re deeply moved and waiting for them. Maybe now that everyone will come home, the living and the dead, we can begin to recover, mourn properly, and plan how to rebuild our community.” She believed Silvia Cunio, mother of Ariel and David, was already at Camp Re’im. “I really hope they’re OK and standing strong.
“It’s much better being here than watching it on television,” Avital added. “There’s a sense of finally being able to breathe. We couldn’t grieve properly before – we were too focused on fighting for the hostages’ return. Now we can begin to mourn and move forward.” Shortly before releasing them, Hamas set up video calls between some of the living hostages and their families. Speaking to her son Matan, 24, for the first time in more than two years, an emotional Einav Zangauker said: “Matan, you’re coming home! You’re my life. I love you.”
Meanwhile, Elkhana Bohbot, 36, who was kidnapped from the Nova festival where he was working on the production team, told his jubilant family: “I’m OK! It’s all good! Be calm, I’m coming home.”
Bar Kuperstein, 23, who was also kidnapped from Nova, was in for a special surprise on his return. During his time in captivity, his father Tal – who suffered a cerebral incident during an operation after a car crash prior to October 7 – had learnt to walk and speak again, and was ready to welcome him home.
In Tel Aviv, hundreds of thousands gathered in Hostages Square to share the historic moment together. Hundreds also gathered at the Nova festival site at sunrise, many holding lulav and etrog – to mark the last day of Succot and celebrate the hostages’ return.
