After more than two harrowing years in Hamas captivity, former hostage Alon Ohel is finally home after being discharged from Beilinson Hospital and reunited with his family in northern Israel.
Ohel, who was abducted from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, spent 738 days in Gaza under brutal and inhumane conditions before being freed earlier this month as part of a hostage-ceasefire agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
As he returned home to Lavon, crowds lined the streets chanting, “We did it!”—a moment of national triumph mixed with tears and relief.
“I am embarking on a journey of restoration and self-rebuilding,” Ohel said in his first public statement. “Thank you to the people of Israel who stood by my family and did everything possible to bring me home. Now begins the process of rehabilitation, so I can rebuild my life and pursue my dreams.”
His mother, Idit, expressed profound gratitude: “After two years of unbearable uncertainty, we finally have our Alon back. The love and support we’ve received from across Israel sustained us.”
His father, Kobi, added, “This is a new beginning—not just for Alon, but for all of us. From here, we look only toward better days.”
Ohel appeared wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, the result of shrapnel injuries he suffered during the October 7 attack. Doctors at Beilinson Hospital plan to operate on the injured eye in hopes of restoring partial vision.
Throughout his captivity, Ohel was held alongside Eli Sharabi, another Israeli hostage who later described Alon as his “best friend for 14 months” in his memoir Hostage.
As Alon begins his long road to healing, his return stands as a powerful symbol of Israel’s resilience—and a reminder of those still waiting to come home.
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