Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham freed from Hamas, back in Israel

He was last seen in September 2014 after crossing into northern Gaza from the beach at Zikim.

Despite being spotted by IDF security cameras, Mengistu crossed the fence before troops could intervene and was captured by a Hamas patrol.

Tal Shoham, 39, a dual Israeli-Austrian citizen from Maale Tzviya, who was abducted on October 7 while visiting his wife’s family in Kibbutz Be’eri during Simchat Torah.

His wife Adi Shoham, children, and several relatives were also taken hostage but released in November.

Tragically, Shoham’s father-in-law, along with his wife’s aunt and uncle, were killed in the attack.

His wife said last year that she had been asked by their two kids in his absence, including “When is dad coming home?” and “Mom, are we going to die?”