President Isaac Herzog speaks with freed hostage Matan Angrest over the phone, calling him a “national hero,” in a video released by his office.
“You’re a national hero — we salute you,” the president tells Angrest, who was released on Monday after two years in Hamas captivity.
Angrest — who served in a tank in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion on the morning of his abduction on October 7, 2023, — thanks Herzog “for all the support during all this time, for being with me even from afar, for the privilege of fighting for this country. I just wanted to say that I’m truly proud of this country!”
Angrest adds that he had no idea about his impending release until Saturday: “I was with another hostage, and we didn’t know anything until Saturday. On Saturday, they brought us up from the tunnels.”
He ends the call by declaring to the president, “The people of Israel live!”
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
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