Article Summary – Kisses, hugs and many tears of...

they were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. From the Neva, from the kibbutzim, from the tanks. After more than two years, on the eve of Simchat Torah, 20 abductees were able to hug their families again. Their spouses, parents, siblings - and the children who were waiting for their return. In photos and videos, this is what the exciting day looks like when 20 abductees finally returned home alive

Ron Krisi, Ynet correspondent|

Since the agreement to release the hostages who were still in captivity was signed, an entire country has held its breath. Millions have been waiting in eager anticipation for the long-awaited moment of release, and on that dramatic night when US President Donald Trump announced it, the joyous celebrations began. The hostage square was filled in an instant and the families already felt the first hug with their loved ones. The days that followed were tense and full of doubts, hopes - and also conflicting reports about the release date. But today (Monday) it finally happened and the 20 surviving hostages who remained in captivity were released after 738 days.

אלקנה בוחבוט, מתן אנגרסט, אבינתן אור ונועה ארגמני

This happened in two waves. The first was in Gaza City around 8:00 AM, and seven hostages were transferred - Eitan Mor, Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Omri Miran, Guy Gilboa Dalal and Alon Ohel. The second wave was about two and a half hours later, this time in Khan Yunis, and the remaining 13 living hostages were transferred - Bar Kuperstein, Eviatar David, Rom Breslavsky, Yosef Haim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinan Or, Elkana Buchbot, Maxim Harkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Tsengauker, David and Ariel Kunio and Eitan Horn.

At the reception point in Ra'im, the abductees met their families for the first time. Their spouses, parents, and siblings. From there, they continued to the hospitals - where crowds awaited them with demonstrations of support and cries of encouragement and strength. In the hours that have passed since then, the moving records of the survivors of captivity have been made public. From the first meeting with their spouses or children - to the tearful embrace with their parents and the excitement with their siblings. This is what the exciting day of the abductees' release looked like - no Israeli will forget:

Omri Miran

Omri Miran, 48, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Nahal Oz - in front of his wife, Lishi, and daughters, Alma and Roni, who were then two and a half years old. Today, 738 days after the massacre - he was reunited with his family for the first time. In particularly moving photos, he was captured playing with his daughters in the hospital - with a wide smile on his face that cannot be missed.

Elkanah Bohbot

On the morning of October 7, 2023, Elkana Bohbut, 35, from Mevaseret Zion, worked on the production team of the Nova Party. During the attack, he helped treat and evacuate the wounded - and was eventually kidnapped. After more than two years - he was reunited today with his wife Rivka and their 5-year-old son Ram."How I've waited for you," his wife Rivka told him as she hugged him for the first time in 738 days. He replied to her:"Everything is fine, that's it, I'm fine. Congratulations on everything. I'm proud of you - you're a fighter." Ram is back in Father Elkana's hands

Bar Kuperstein

Bar Kuperstein, 23, from Holon, was kidnapped on October 7 from the Nova party where he worked as a security guard. Today, after his release, it was revealed that at that time he was a regular fighter in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal. During the 738 days he was held captive, his father Tal, who is disabled after being run over while caring for an injured girl, tried non-stop to rehabilitate him. Today, when they met for the first time in more than two years, Tal got up from his wheelchair and hugged his son. Recently, the father was even able to speak again.

Matan Engrest

Armored fighter Matan Engrest, 22, from Kiryat Bialik, served in the 7th Brigade - and was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from Nahal Oz while wounded and unconscious, at the end of a stubborn battle in which his team members fell. In the first family photo, in a helicopter on the way to the hospital, he waved a sign in memory of his fallen comrades:"Daniel (Peretz), Tomer (Leibovitz), Itay (Chen), you are the lion kings. Thanks to all the heroes and heroines in uniform - the nation of Israel lives!". Matan is a fan of the Maccabi Haifa football team, and immediately after being released from captivity he wrapped himself in the Israeli flag and the team's scarf. In the hospital, he asked to hear a song by Omer Adam - and shortly afterwards even spoke to him.

שורד השבי מתן אנגרסט במסר ראשון מהמסוק בדרך לבית החולים

Avinan Or

Avinan Or, 32, was kidnapped from the Nuba party with his partner Noa Argamani, who was rescued in Operation Arnon in June last year. Today, 738 days after they were forcibly separated and taken separately to the Gaza Strip - they were reunited for the first time. In the first photos after their captivity, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. At the first meeting with his parents after more than two years, Avinan said:"How I hoped I would see you and that I would be able to tell you that I love you once again in this life."

Segev Kalfon

Segev Kalfon, 27, from Dimona, was kidnapped from the Nuba party. Last July, his mother, Galit, recounted details told to her by captivity survivor Ohad Ben Ami:"He said Segev's situation was very difficult. He said Segev saw him as a father - and he actually held his hand at night. Segev's group was held in the most difficult conditions in Gaza." 738 days after he was kidnapped - he met his family for the first time. His father congratulated him on his life, and the family members shouted:"You are with us, my life!".

שגב כלפון ומשפחתו בדרכם לבית החולים במסוק חיל האוויר

Ariel Cuneo

Ariel Kunio, 28, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, with his partner Arbel Yehud from their home - and the two were separated and have not seen each other since. Of the 20 abductees who were released, he is the only one who did not receive any sign of life during captivity. His brother David was also kidnapped to Gaza. Today, for the first time in more than two years, he was reunited with his family and his partner who was released in the latest deal. Arbel said that"Now that Ariel and David are home, we can focus on our long healing and rehabilitation together as a couple and as a family, to focus on the bereavement and loss of my beloved brother Dolev. We need peace, air and our time together."

David Cuneo

David Kunio, 35, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped in Gaza with his wife Sharon Aloni-Kunio and their daughters Yuli and Emma, who were three years old. On October 7, he held the door of their house for five hours while terrorists tried to open it. Sharon and the daughters returned from captivity in a deal after 52 days, but David remained in Gaza for more than two years.

Ethan Horn

In the October 7 massacre, 38-year-old Eitan Horn was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he had come during Sukkot to visit his brother Yair, who had also been kidnapped and was released in the latest kidnapping deal in February. Eitan, who grew up in Argentina and immigrated to Israel at the age of 16, is known by his family as Eito. He served as a youth guide on kibbutzim and worked in immigrant camps, as a Jewish Agency emissary and as a Na'alah guide. In a video released by Hamas in early March, he is seen separated from his brother - at the moments when he was released from captivity, in the previous deal.

Gali and Ziv Berman

Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twins, were kidnapped from the Hador HaTza'ir neighborhood in Kibbutz Kfar Gaza, and were the last abductees from one of the communities that suffered the hardest blow in the October 7 massacre. On the morning of the massacre, Gali insisted on going to the house of Emily Damari, who was alone, and trying to help her."Gali and I hid in a room and they broke down the door," she said in the neighborhood from which they were kidnapped."We were kidnapped to Gaza together with Ziv." During the 738 days of captivity - no photographic documentation was received from them from Gaza.

Nimrod Cohen

Armored fighter Nimrod Cohen, 21, was kidnapped on October 7 from Tank 3 - where he was with the late Captain Omer Nowtra, Sergeant Shaked Dahan, and Sergeant Oz Daniel, who fell in battle. 738 days later - he was finally reunited with his family. The one who flew Nimrod Cohen and his family from the initial absorption point in Re'im to Ichilov Hospital today was the commander of the Air Force himself, Major General Tomer Bar.

מפקד חיל האוויר אלוף תומר בר, הטיס את המסוק של השב נמרוד כהן ומשפחתו

Rum Breslavsky

Rom Breslavsky, 21, worked as a security guard at the Nova party. After he was kidnapped, his family received numerous testimonies about the heroism he displayed on October 7 - when he helped people escape from the terrorists. Today, after he was released, it was revealed that on the day of the kidnapping he was a soldier on regular duty.

רום ברסלבסקי עם משפחתו בנקודת הקליטה הראשונית

Guy Gilboa Dalal

Guy Gilboa Dalal, 23, from Alfi Menashe, was kidnapped from a party in the Nuba, where he was hanging out with his brother Gal, who managed to escape the inferno in a surprise attack. He was filmed that morning inside the Gaza Strip, along with Eviatar David, who was kidnapped with him. In the previous deal, Hamas released a horrific video, in which Guy and Eviatar were seen forced to watch their friends go free, while they remained in hell. About a month and a half ago, Guy and Eviatar were separated - and today they were reunited again. Last month, Hamas released another video of Guy, in which he was seen filmed in Gaza City meeting the kidnapped Alon Ohel, who was released this morning alongside him.

המפגש המרגש של גיא גלבוע-דלאל עם משפחתו בנקודת הקליטה הראשונית

Eviatar David

Eviatar David, 24, from Kfar Saba, was at the Nuva party on the morning of October 7 with his friends Guy Gilboa Dalal, Ron Sarfati, and Idan Ramati. At 7:42, he wrote to his mother Galia that he was on his way to the car with his friends, but after that he did not respond again. Eviatar and Guy were kidnapped from their hiding place, Ron and Idan were murdered. At 11:00, a video arrived showing Eviatar and Guy kidnapped, already inside the Gaza Strip. In a video released by Hamas in early August, Eviatar was seen in a state of malnutrition."I am not eating, there is barely any water," he said in a video released by the terrorist organization from a tunnel, and was recorded being forced to dig his own grave.

אביתר דוד ומשפחתו במסוק בדרכם לבית החולים

קבלת פנים לאביתר דוד בבית חולים בילינסון

Alon Ohel

Alon Ohel, 24, from the village of Levon near Karmiel, was kidnapped from the Nuba party. Last month, the first footage of him in captivity was released, after more than 700 days, in which he was seen meeting Guy Gilboa Dalal. Two weeks later, on Rosh Hashanah Eve, Hamas released another video of Alon, and his family expressed concern that he was losing his vision in his right eye. Alon is a gifted pianist and musician. He began playing at the age of nine and planned to continue his musical training at the Rimon School. On the helicopter en route to the hospital, Ohel wrote the lyrics to"A Song Without a Name" - the last song he played on the piano in his room before leaving for the party.

המפגש של אלון אהל עם משפחתו, בנקודת הקליטה הראשונית ומהמסוק בדרכו לבית החולים

Matan Tsengaukar

Matan Tsengaukar, 25, was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz with his partner Ilana Grichevsky, who was involved in the first kidnapping deal. Matan and Ilana met during their work, and had been together for about a year and a half before they were kidnapped. 738 days after he was kidnapped, he was reunited with his partner and his mother Einav - who became one of the symbols of the struggle to return the kidnapped.

מתן צנגאוקר ומשפחתו במסוק בדרכם לבית החולים

עינב צנגאוקר פוגשת את בנה מתן אחרי שחרור מ שבי חמאס

Ethan Mor

Eitan Mor, 25, originally from Kiryat Arba, lived in Jerusalem and was kidnapped from a party in Re'im, where he worked as a security guard. On the morning of the terrorist attack, when Hamas terrorists burst into the party and began shooting in all directions, Eitan tried to escape the area. The last testimony about Eitan was from one of the survivors, who said he saw him and his friend remove the bodies of two young women to a safe place. His parents said that while in captivity, Eitan was"the spokesman for the kidnappers."

איתן מור ומשפחתו במסוק בדרכם לבית החולים

Yosef Chaim Ohana

Yosef Haim Ohana, 24, from Kiryat Malachi, was kidnapped from the Nuba party. He worked as a bartender, and when the massacre began, he helped the wounded who were injured around him - and transferred them to ambulances outside the compound. The first documented sign of life from him was received last March, in a video in which he was seen alongside Elkana Buhbut. Two months later, Hamas released another video of the two of them.

Maxim Harkin

Maxim Harkin, 36, from Tirat Carmel, was kidnapped from the Nuba party. Last February, it was reported that Hamas said it would"take into account" Russia's request to release Harkin, whose daughter and mother hold Russian citizenship - but Harkin remained in captivity in Gaza. Maxim has one daughter, Monica, who lives in Russia with his ex-partner. Before his kidnapping, he visited them in Russia, returned to Israel - and four days later was kidnapped in Gaza. His daughter is expected to arrive in Israel next week.

The kidnapped spaces left behind

Alongside the joy that this day brought, there are also painful moments. As part of the agreement, 28 abductees who were killed are supposed to return to Israel. Four of them, Yossi Sharabi, Daniel Peretz, Bipin Joshi and Guy Illoz, Hamas claims, were transferred to Israel this evening. They were transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine where they will undergo an identification and verification process to ensure that they are indeed the ones involved. If they are indeed the ones involved, there are still 24 abductees who were killed in the Gaza Strip - who did not know if and when they were taken to Israel.

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Kisses, hugs and many tears of happiness: 20 kidnapped children back home | Unforgettable moments