Released hostage Liri Albag plans to rejoin the IDF after 477 days in captivity

Eli Albag, father of former hostage Liri Albag (20), has confirmed that his daughter plans to rejoin the Israeli military in a “very significant role,” with his blessing.

“Liri is very mature and knows exactly what she wants. We supported her return to the army, it's part of the way we raise our children, as long as it is a good thing, we approve," Albag told Kan Reshet Bet Radio in an interview on Monday.

Liri was taken hostage while serving as an IDF field observer and was eventually released after being held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza for 477 days. She was described as a “force of nature” by fellow hostage Amit Soussana, after showing great courage and even saving the lives of others while in captivity.

"It is impossible to say what role she is returning to," Eli said, although he confirmed Liri would not go back to being an observer. "I understood that another one of her fellow observers also wants to return to the army, but we are maintaining their privacy as we always have.” 

“She took hold and continues to take hold, and she is returning to the army this week," he said. "She wants a significant role, and she will have a significant role. She has stepped back from the headlines, and she is doing quiet work."

Liri, then 18 years old, was kidnapped on the very first Shabbat of her army service in October 2023 and was released in January 2025. According to her father, she has since been going through rehabilitation and traveling overseas, wanting to “seize the world” now that she is free.

Like others who have returned from Gaza, Liri hasn’t told her family everything that happened to her yet. “She keeps sharing with us all the time, and at any given moment, another drawer opens. We don't want to open everything all at once – whatever she chooses to share, she tells us," Albag said.

Liri has experienced significant challenges after her release five months ago, for example, being detained upon arrival at JFK International Airport in New York because U.S. records still listed her as a captive. At the same time she faced vicious online attacks for publicly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war since the Oct. 7 massacre.

In a television interview, Albag accused Netanyahu of failures in the conflict with Hamas. The interview went viral and drew cruel comments about her appearance, along with calls for her to be sent back to Gaza.

“I’m reading the threats and curses I received, and I’m afraid. I’m not afraid of the responses themselves… I am afraid of what we’ve become,” she posted on Instagram at the time, adding “We can’t win like this.” 

Liri condemned the abuse as “despicable, heartless, inhuman.”

She said, “As the Jewish nation that has been attacked time after time, since Egypt until today, let’s fight our enemies and not one another. You will never understand what we went through there and I don’t wish for you to understand.”

Eli Albag shared his frustration, saying, "Only when they kidnap your child will you understand what we are going through – and then you will have permission to speak.”

"Criticizing the prime minister is legitimate and okay, and it's also okay to praise,” after expressing appreciation of Netanyahu’s handling of the situation with Iran.

“A commission of inquiry should have been set up long ago, but for me, as a family [member] of a hostage and for families who still have hostages, it’s not the most important thing – the most important thing is to focus on bringing back all the hostages," he said.