From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 8, 2025
‘Dad, it took you a long time to come back’: Almog Levy, 3, speaks to his just-released father Or
Michael Levy, whose brother Or Levy was freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza after 491 days this morning, and who met up with him a short time ago, says he showed Or videos of his three-year-old son Almog and that the father and son then had a video call.
Levy was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im when Hamas-led terrorists rampaged southern Israeli communities. His wife Eynav was killed in the brutal onslaught.
In an emotional interview over a video call, Michael tells Channel 12 news that Almog told Or, “Dad, it took you a long time to come back.”
Almog also told his dad that he “can’t wait to see you,” Michael reported.
“It’s crazy. But he’s here now,” Michael says about Or, adding that though the struggle to free his brother is over, “we still have the struggle for [Or’s] rehabilitation and the release of everyone,” referring to the 73 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 who remain in Gaza.
Hamas has so far released 21 hostages — civilians, soldiers, and five Thai nationals — during a ceasefire that began in January. The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.
Eight hostages have been rescued alive by troops, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.
