As three Israeli hostages—Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy—were released from Hamas captivity on Saturday, their families finally breathed a sigh of relief. But their homecoming was overshadowed by the physical and emotional toll of their ordeal. Gaunt and frail, the hostages were paraded on a makeshift stage in Gaza before being handed over to the Red Cross—a moment that left their loved ones shaken.
(Families of the Hostages Demanding them back abcnews.go.com)
A Shocking Homecoming
Ella Ben Ami, the daughter of Ohad, was horrified when she saw her father’s condition.
“I had so many pictures in my mind of my dad, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. I thought I would be strong, but I fell to the floor and screamed, ‘I’m sorry,’” she recalled, overwhelmed by the sight of him.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, she described his captivity as “hell” and urged the Israeli government to bring home the remaining hostages, who are enduring the same nightmare.
“We can’t stop now,” she insisted. “We have to move forward and bring everyone back.”
‘He Wasn’t the Same’
For Michael Levy, seeing his brother Or for the first time in 16 months was bittersweet.
(Friends and family of Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami wait for news that he would be released by Hamas on Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images)
“He wasn’t the same Or who left home on October 7, 2023,” Michael said, his voice heavy with emotion. “He came back in poor physical condition—hungry, barefoot, and living in constant fear that each day could be his last.”
But the most heartbreaking moment came after Or’s release when he learned the devastating truth—his wife, Einav, had been killed in the October 7 attack.
“For 491 days, he held onto hope that he would see her again,” Michael said. “And then, in one moment, that hope was taken away.”
Despite the pain, he made one thing clear: “Or’s return is a miracle, but we can’t rest until every hostage is back home.”
‘Every Second Could Save Lives’
For Eli Sharabi’s brother Sharon, the release of the three hostages was a small victory, but he warned that time is running out for those still held captive.
“Every moment that passes, every second, could save lives,” he stressed, urging the Israeli government to act swiftly.
Their family knows this pain all too well—another brother, Yossi, was also taken hostage by Hamas but did not survive captivity.
A Race Against Time
Saturday’s release marked another step in the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. So far, Hamas has freed 16 hostages out of the 33 they agreed to release in this phase of the agreement. But the numbers are grim—eight of those 33 are already dead.
Even after this exchange, Hamas and its allies still hold 73 hostages taken during the October 7 attack, along with three others kidnapped in 2014. For their families, the fight to bring them home is far from over.
“Their suffering cannot be in vain,” Ella Ben Ami said. “We must do everything in our power to bring them back.”
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