AFTER an entire decade of harrowing uncertainty, Avera Mengistu is home at last.
An Israeli hostage from Ethiopia, who endured 3,821 days in Hamas captivity, was freed in Rafah on Saturday as part of a delicate ceasefire agreement.
Mengistu, along with Tal Shoham, a victim from October 7, crossed into Israel and reached a military reception point, as confirmed by the IDF.
They were then reunited with their families before being airlifted to medical facilities for further evaluation.
They are two of the six hostages being freed from Hamas’s claws today.
The six are said to be the last living hostages Hamas will release during the first phase of the fragile ceasefire agreement.
The IDF confirmed it has received Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert from the Red Cross.
But Hisham al Sayed, a Bedouin Israeli who was captured before October 7, will be released separately later on, Sky News reports.
Reports from Gaza mention that he will be handed over discreetly, without any formal ceremony, from a separate location in central Gaza, as a sign of consideration towards Palestinian citizens of Israel.
A DECADE IN CAPTIVITY
Mengistu, an Ethiopian-born Israeli, was held in Gaza for ten years and five months after crossing into the Strip in 2014.
His family has spend years pleading for his return, often met with silence.
“Our family has endured ten years and five months of unimaginable suffering,” they said in a statement.
“During this time, there have been continuous efforts to secure his return, with prayers and pleas, some silent, that remained unanswered until today.”
Unlike Shoham, who appeared visibly pale and underweight on Saturday’s hostage handover, Mengistu was seen in relatively stable condition, retaining a similar body weight to when he was taken.
TOGETHER AT LAST
Upon his return, Mengistu was seen meeting members of his family at an IDF facility near the Gaza border.
An emotional video shared by the military showed Mengistu tightly embracing his loved ones after years apart.
The IDF later posted on X: “3,821 days. 10 years apart.
“Avera Mengistu’s family has suffered his absence for a decade, not knowing if he was safe or even alive.
“Today, they can finally hold him again.”
Mengistu has since been transferred to a hospital in central Israel for further medical assessment and rehabilitation.
Mengistu and Shoham’s release was part of a broader deal, marking the first time hostages were freed in Rafah.
Despite the joy of these reunions, both families emphasised that the fight is not over.
“We must not miss this window of opportunity,” the Shoham family said.
“Children need their fathers. We must return all hostages home: the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for eternal rest.”
PREVIOUS HOSTAGE RELEASES
Saturday’s hostage release marks the seventh round under the ongoing ceasefire deal.
The previous release involved the return of the bodies of Oded Lifshitz and the Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel.
The children’s mum, Shiri Bibas, was only repatriated to Israel later on Friday night.
It took Hamas terrorists two attempts to correctly return the mum’s body back to her loved ones after sending the wrong remains in a vile mix up.
