Avera Mengistu, who was freed from captivity in the Gaza Strip in February after being held hostage by Hamas for more than a decade, has been released from hospital after five months of treatment.
In a statement from his family distributed to Hebrew media outlets, his sister, Alemnesh, says that she is “very proud of the path and the change he has been through since his return from captivity, with all the difficulties and ups and downs, he has been through a significant healing process.”
His family says that Mengistu expresses that he “is excited” over his release from the Ichilov Hospital, and will now move to an appropriate living situation. Mengistu, who has a history of mental illness, crossed into Gaza in 2014 and was held hostage ever since, released only in February amid a larger ceasefire deal with Hamas.
When he was freed in February, his brother, Ilan, told reporters that Mengistu had a long path of recuperation ahead of him.
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