Emotional Reunions: Israeli Hostages Return Home After Two-Year Ordeal
In a moment that many thought impossible, 20 Israeli hostages finally returned home on Monday, ending a nightmare that had stretched on for more than two years. The emotional reunions brought scenes of overwhelming joy as families torn apart by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks were finally made whole again. Many of the freed hostages and their families have publicly expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and his administration for their pivotal role in negotiating and securing the releases that brought their loved ones back to them after such a prolonged separation.
Among the most poignant reunions was that of Noa Argamani and her partner Avinatan Or. Their separation had become an iconic image of the October 7 attacks, when Argamani was forcibly taken away on a motorcycle by Hamas terrorists as the world watched in horror. “Two years passed since the last moment I saw Avinatan, the love of my life,” Argamani shared emotionally after their reunion. She spent 246 days in captivity before being freed in a rescue operation, while Or remained captive for a staggering 738 days before being released in the recent deal. “I cannot put into words the range of emotions I felt when I saw him for the first time after so long,” she said. “Each of us faced death countless times, and yet, after two years apart, we are finally taking our first steps together again in the State of Israel.” In her public statement, Argamani specifically thanked the Israel Defense Forces, the U.S. government, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and President Trump, whom she called “exceptional” for their efforts in securing the hostages’ freedom.
The story of Omri Miran and his family represents another heart-wrenching journey that finally found its resolution. Miran was taken captive from the safe room in his home on October 7, 2023, as his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, watched helplessly. For Alma, who was just six months old when her father was kidnapped, the only image she knew of her father came from hostage posters that had become ubiquitous across Israel. The moment of their reunion fulfilled a promise Lishay had made on that terrible day. “Roni and Alma ran into their father’s arms, and he heard them say ‘daddy’ again,” Miran-Lavi wrote, describing a moment that “healed something words cannot describe.” She specifically credited President Trump’s administration for making “our cause your mission” and expressed gratitude to Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner for their “dedication, compassion, and persistence through every stage of this journey.” She also thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio for ensuring that “the hostages and their families never left the agenda” and leading with both “strength and humanity.”
The gratitude extended beyond individual families to become a collective expression of appreciation during a Tuesday news conference where multiple families gathered to share their stories. Viki Cohen, mother of freed hostage Nimrod Cohen; Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest; Iair Horn, who had previously escaped captivity and whose brother Eitan Horn was just released; and Dani Miran, father of Omri Miran, all publicly thanked the Trump administration for their persistent efforts. At another news conference held at a different medical center, more families joined the chorus of appreciation, including Macabit Mayer, aunt of freed siblings Gali and Ziv Berman, their brother Liran Berman, and Miri Ben Ami, whose son Yosef Chaim Ohana was among those returned home. The unified message from these diverse families highlighted the magnitude of what had been accomplished after so many months of desperate waiting and uncertainty.
President Trump himself addressed Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, hours after the hostages were freed, marking the culmination of a promise he had made during his presidential campaign last year. “This week, against all odds, we have done the impossible and brought our hostages home,” Trump told the assembled Israeli lawmakers. The president had consistently pledged to both bring the hostages home and end the wider conflict, goals that many observers had considered extremely difficult if not unachievable given the complex geopolitical realities of the region. Yet over the first ten months of his presidency, Israel witnessed multiple rounds of hostage releases, building toward Monday’s final return of the last 20 living captives.
For these families, the reunions represent not just personal relief but also the closing of a painful national chapter that had gripped Israel since the devastating Hamas attacks of October 2023. The imagery of parents embracing children they feared they might never see again, partners reuniting after facing the darkest of circumstances, and young children finally meeting the fathers they knew only from photographs has resonated deeply across Israeli society and around the world. While the physical ordeal of captivity has ended for these fortunate twenty, the process of healing and reintegration now begins. Medical professionals note that the psychological impact of prolonged captivity can last for years, requiring specialized support and patience. Yet amid these challenges, the overwhelming sentiment expressed by the families has been one of profound gratitude that what once seemed impossible has finally come to pass. As Noa Argamani poignantly summarized her experience: “Both of us, against all odds, came home and were reunited!”
