A hostage comes home

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: home at last.

Now just a quick word of warning: This story may be too intense for some of our younger listeners. Parents, use your discernment, but you may want to fast forward seven minutes and come back later.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: On October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed the Nova music festival, where Or Levy and his wife Eynav, were celebrating. Enyav was killed. Or was dragged into Gaza and held hostage for nearly 500 days. He was finally released last month as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But the conditions of his captivity and release drew international condemnation.

WORLD Reporter Travis Kircher spoke with Or’s brother, Michael Levy, about the long and difficult road to recovery.

AUDIO: [HAMAS VIDEO]

TRAVIS KIRCHER: When WORLD last spoke with Michael Levy in January, the last images he’d seen of his brother Or were from a Hamas video taken on October 7th. It was Day One of his time as a Hamas hostage.

MICHAEL: For 491 days, we didn't know if he is alive or dead.

But all of that changed on Saturday, February 8th.

SOUND: [HAMAS RELEASES HOSTAGES]

Or and fellow hostages Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were released as part of the initial phase of Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas. Before they were freed, armed Hamas militants paraded the three hostages onto a stage before a crowd of Palestinians. Michael was watching the video and says he was shocked at his brother’s appearance.

MICHAEL: He looked awful. It was obvious that he was starved. Unfortunately—and I hate this comparison—but the only time I saw people looking like this was back at the Holocaust.

Despite their appearance, Michael says Hamas forced the hostages to thank them for feeding them. He also confirms that Hamas gave some of the hostages, for lack of a better term, a grab bag before they were handed over to the Red Cross.

MICHAEL: It's just another demonstration of how sick and twisted they are. I mean, they gave them their version of souvenirs from Gaza…The only thing Or got was a certificate. But I know that from other hostages that were released, that some of them got pictures of city of Gaza, or a scarf of Hamas, or headband of Hamas, or something like that.

Meanwhile in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, cheers of a different sort:

SOUND: [CHEERS FROM HOSTAGE SQUARE]

…as Or and his two fellow hostages arrived by helicopter at the hospital and reunited with their loved ones. Audio here of Or reuniting with Michael and his other family members courtesy of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

MICHAEL: His legs were so thin. I don't think I've ever seen someone so thin. It was practically bones and skin. That's it.

Michael says his brother was still clinging to the hope that his wife Eynav had survived. Michael had to tell him that Eynav had indeed been murdered, more than a year earlier.

MICHAEL: He kind of knew, but he wasn't 100 percent sure...he did not see it...actually his first question was, is asked for assurance that Eynav is not alive, and unfortunately, that was the fact.

But despite the bad news, there were also moments of sheer joy. Like the moment Or reunited with his son Almog…now three years old. Michael says these reunions are sensitive and must be handled with care. They spoke first on the phone. Then there was a video call. Then:

MICHAEL: When Almog got to the hospital, he ran to the corridors of the hospital and yelled, "Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy?" Everyone was crying around him...it was an amazing moment to see them hug and it was as if they were never apart for a second.

In the past few weeks, Michael says he’s been learning more about the conditions his brother endured in Gaza. He’s up-front about the fact that he’s withholding some of the more horrific aspects of Or’s captivity…but here’s what he can share. He says his brother was kept in underground tunnels where he couldn't stand and was barely able to breathe. What little water he was given was either polluted or seawater, and at times he was forced to live on no more than a single bite of pita bread a day.

MICHAEL: The conditions that Or and the rest of the hostages were in was worse than anything human mind can understand.

Now that he’s home, Michael says his brother is relishing the simple pleasures of life. Like eating Shabbat dinner on Friday evenings with his family, something Michael admits a non-Jewish audience may not understand.

MICHAEL: We drink wine, we talk, we laugh, we celebrate, we argue about meaningful things that are not very important sometimes, but it's a lot of fun.

Or has been home for every Shabbat dinner since his release. And he’s rediscovering another love: basketball. Michael says on Friday, he and Or attended a game to support Maccabi Rishon-Lezion, their hometown team. Michael says it was an emotional moment for both his brother and the team.

MICHAEL: When we got into the arena, everyone cried. After the game, the players took us to the circle in the middle of the arena, and we celebrated together with them. We were hugging and jumping and dancing and just seeing his face was an amazing moment.

For now Michael says his brother’s life consists of normal things. Like taking his son Almog to kindergarten. Trying to keep him out of trouble. And grappling with the horrific things he’s endured. Michael says he knows WORLD listeners have been praying for his family, and he wants that to continue.

MICHAEL: And I want them to keep praying, not just for us, but for the rest of the hostages that are still there.

And Michael says his brother hasn’t forgotten those left behind. One of the first things Or wanted after his release from the hospital was to visit Hostage Square. Against his doctor’s wishes.

MICHAEL: After a lot of fights and arguments with us...we and the doctors finally agreed that he'll go, so...

The two brothers went with their father early on a Friday morning when the square was nearly empty. Then Or did something he’d been wanting to do for a long time. He tore down the signs with his picture on them.

MICHAEL: and it was amazing to see an amazing, amazing closure, to see him there alive, and that he was able to remove those signs.

Today, Michael says they still visit Hostage Square, but instead of holding signs about Or, they’re there to represent another hostage: Alon Ahel, who was kidnapped along with Or.

MICHAEL: Obviously, we want all of the hostages back—all of the 59 that are still there. But yeah, Alon has a special place in our heart, because Or love him like a brother.

Mediators continue to meet in Qatar, hoping to negotiate a new ceasefire deal that would see the release of more than half of the remaining hostages. Late last week the Trump administration confirmed that it is now engaging in direct talks with Hamas.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Travis Kircher.

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