Evyatar David in his first post since release from Hamas captivity: 'From hell – to the best place there is'

A rally for the release of the 11 hostages whose bodies are still being held by Hamas in Gaza took place on Saturday evening at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Former hostages Matan Zangauker and Eitan Horn visited the square for the first time.

“It’s not yet time for conclusions. For 738 days I dreamed of coming home, but I knew one thing: Israeli society would not give up on me,” said Horn. “There are 11 families still living this nightmare, and I am not willing for the State of Israel to move on as long as the hostages aren’t home. We can’t wait any longer – we must bring everyone back now.”

“I won’t be able to restore my sense of personal security as long as they’re not here. I can’t begin my journey of healing and rehabilitation while I know there are families who aren’t joining me in that journey. I stand here today as a symbol of the abandonment and destruction of October 7. For 738 days my freedom was taken from me, and my life was almost taken too. But I fought and survived.”

“I am Eitan, and I stand here today as a symbol of your incredible strength and the success of a civil struggle – perhaps one of the most important in history. A struggle that will shape the future of our country,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, freed hostage Evyatar David published his first post, thanking everyone who supported the fight for his release:

“It’s my third week at home. I’m still trying to digest this crazy reality.”

“It’s unbelievable where I was three weeks ago and where I am today – from hell to the best place there is, surrounded by immense love and support. Thank you to everyone who fought, acted, and prayed for my return and for everyone’s return. I love you so much, people of Israel – there’s no one stronger than us. From here, there’s only up,” he wrote.

Former hostage Omri Miran arrived at Hostages Square yesterday for the first time to speak at the weekly Shabbat gathering of the Nahal Oz community. During his speech, he said,

“While my nightmare has ended, there are still 11 families living in terrible uncertainty.”

Miran added, “Even in captivity, and after I came back, I heard about everything you did for us – about the Shabbat gatherings you held here every Friday, the weekly rallies, the days of shutdown, and the marches.”

Last Thursday, the bodies of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch were returned to Israel. This occurred as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas faltered because of violations by the terror group.

Also on Thursday, it was reported that Hamas had resumed searching for the remains of fallen hostages in areas under Israeli control in the Gaza Strip – for the first time since the Rafah incident earlier this week in which Sergeant Major Effi Feldbaum was killed. According to a source familiar with the details, members of Hamas’s military wing entered the area accompanied by a Red Cross team, in full coordination with Israel. Specifically, the searches are taking place in the eastern part of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

As a reminder, Israel had suspended on Tuesday the permit allowing Hamas to conduct excavations and searches for the bodies of hostages following that same Rafah incident.