Gadi Mozes discharged from hospital, hopes to rebuild Kibbutz Nir Oz

A week after his release from Hamas captivity in Gaza, 80-year-old Gadi Mozes was discharged from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) on Thursday and returned home to Kibbutz Nir Oz, accompanied by his family.

After 482 days in the coastal enclave under harsh conditions, he expressed gratitude to his family, the Israel Defense Forces, the security services and hospital staff.

“I am excited and amazed by the immense solidarity and warm embrace from the citizens of the country. I ask for privacy and hope to soon return to working the fields and contribute to the reconstruction of Nir Oz,” Channel 12 News quoted him as saying.

Mozes was taken from his home in Nir Oz alongside his wife, Margalit, during the Hamas-led onslaught on Oct. 7, 2023. Margalit was one of the first captives released in the November 2023 truce.

Mozes stressed that “the way to recovery and renewal requires the return of all the hostages, until the last one.”

According to Israeli estimates, there are 79 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 76 abducted on Oct. 7, 2023.

Agam Berger and Arbel Yehud were released with Mozes, along with five Thai nationals, followed on Saturday by Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, and Keith Siegel. The six-week phase one of the truce calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian terrorists. Another exchange is planned for this Saturday.

Mozes thanked the soldiers working tirelessly for their release, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and honored the fallen.

Eleven days after returning from Hamas captivity, four IDF observers—Liri Elbag, Naama Levy, Karina Arayev, and Daniela Gilboa—were released from Beilinson Hospital at Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah on Wednesday. Berger, the fifth IDF observer, and Yehud were also discharged on Wednesday after six days of treatment.

Their families thanked the hospital staff, emphasizing the vital role of medical and psychological care in the young women’s recovery as they begin their journey back to normal life.