The father of a rescued Israeli hostage, Evyatar David, has expressed immense relief and joy as his son recovers from the harrowing ordeal of captivity, which included being forced by Hamas to dig his own grave in a Gazan tunnel. Avishai David shared with the BBC that Evyatar’s health is “improving every day,” noting a welcome return of colour to his face and a regaining of his former self.
Evyatar, aged 24, along with fellow freed hostages Guy Gilboa Dalal and Eitan Mor, were discharged from hospital on Sunday, receiving a hero’s welcome from ecstatic crowds in their hometowns. Avishai David conveyed his profound happiness, stating, “I can’t explain how happy it makes me feel to see him growing back to his old self.”
The father recounted the agonizing months spent in uncertainty, knowing his son was just 80km away yet unable to help him. “It devastated me,” he admitted, describing sleepless nights and a loss of appetite due to the distress.
This recovery comes after Hamas released a video in August, prior to Evyatar’s release, which depicted him in a severely emaciated state within a confined tunnel. The footage drew widespread condemnation from Israel and international leaders for its cruel nature.
Recalling the video, Evyatar’s brother, Ilay, had previously told the BBC that the footage represented a “new form of cruelty,” describing Evyatar as a “human skeleton” suffering immensely from starvation.
On Sunday, Evyatar David was met with cheers and applause upon his return to Kfar Saba, his hometown in central Israel.
Dr. Michal Shteinman, director at Rabin Medical Centre, where the three hostages received treatment, confirmed the visible signs of their ordeal. “We can see their blood tests… and we’ve also heard their stories… they are not lying. You can see the marks of this metabolic trauma. Their skin tells their story. You can see the scars and the wounds.” However, she added a hopeful note, stating that the hostages “came back stronger than they were.”
Evyatar was taken hostage from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. He is among the 20 living hostages released by Hamas as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal.
The Israeli Defence Forces initiated a military operation in Gaza following the October 7 attacks, during which approximately 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel and 251 were taken hostage.
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