From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 20, 2026
Former hostages Nimrod Cohen and Matan Angrest attend Armored Corps beret march
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Former hostages Nimrod Cohen and Matan Angrest, who served in the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade, attended a ceremony today marking the end of training for rookies in the Armored Corps.
The soldiers completed a march to Yad Lashiryon, the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum, next to Latrun, where they received the corps’ signature black beret.
At the end of the march, Cohen and Angrest — together with Chief Armored Officer Brig. Gen. Ohad Maor — awarded certificates of excellence to the soldiers who completed their training with outstanding performance, the military says.
“This occasion is the fulfillment of the commandment of every soldier and commander in the IDF, no one is left behind,” Maor says at the ceremony.
“Matan and Nimrod, we are very moved that you are here. We waited for this moment, a big embrace from us,” he adds.
Cohen and Angrest were abducted from their tanks by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel. Members of their tank crews were also killed, and their bodies taken to Gaza.
Both have said they wish to return to the military.
The Times of Israel Community.