During their stage-managed appearance at the hands of Hamas militants, one of the Israeli hostages, Eli Sharabi, told the crowd that he hoped to see his wife and daughters.
hostages freed on Saturday, the suffering did not end when Hamas militants paraded their frail and gaunt figures on a stage in Gaza ahead of their release to the Red Cross.
All three were killed in Kibbutz Be'eri during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 – but it was only on his return to Israel that Sharabi learnt their fate, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Levy, 34, was attending the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was kidnapped. His wife Einav was killed in the attack.
While in the hospital, Levy reunited with his son, Almog, who was only two-years-old when his father was taken hostage.Levy's family issued a statement following his release, celebrating his return while also mourning the death of Einav.
The scenes from Saturday's hostage handover have drawn condemnation from Israel, who called the men's appearances "shocking," with a group representing the families of hostages saying that it was "horrified by the visible physical and mental condition" of the men. Levy – who was released as he was considered a humanitarian case – appeared particularly frail.
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