Or Levy, a former Israeli captive who was held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for 491 days and returned emaciated, was released from the hospital on Monday, ten days after being released by the terror group.
Levy, 34, who was released on Feb. 8 as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, completed initial treatment at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan, his family announced on Tuesday morning.
Levy’s release from the hospital “is a significant moment for him and for us, but the process of recovery and rehabilitation still lies ahead of us,” the family wrote in a statement cited by Hebrew media. “The return home is not complete as long as there are still hostages in captivity.”
According to the statement by his relatives, “Or is committed to taking part in the fight to return them and will do so as soon as he can.” The family called on the media and the public “to respect our privacy and allow us the peace and time needed for recovery and recuperation.”
Levy was handed over by the Red Cross to Israel on Feb. 8 alongside Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Eli Sharabi, 52. Ahead of their release, Hamas paraded the hostages on a stage in front of a raucous crowd in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah. The three men appeared frail and distraught.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the next day that the three released men looked “like Holocaust survivors. They were in horrible condition—emaciated. It looked like something from many years ago.”
Levy was taken from the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, while his wife, Eynav, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in a bomb shelter.
