Released hostage Matan Angrest returns home after week of supervised recovery

Released hostage Matan Angrest returned home with his family to Kiryat Bialik on Thursday afternoon, after spending a week under medical supervision as part of his recovery.

Angrest was discharged from Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center last week, but had been staying with his family in the nearby Kfar Maccabiah Hotel as part of the rehabilitation process, alongside other freed hostages and their relatives.

Ichilov stated upon his release that “Matan and his family will move to an environment that will allow them a gradual return home, while receiving medical and rehabilitation care according to his needs.”

Angrest exited the hotel Thursday afternoon wearing a scarf of his favorite soccer team, Maccabi Haifa. Dozens of well-wishers gathered outside to bid him farewell, as he and his family set out on the three-hour journey north to the Haifa suburb.

Freed hostage Bar Kuperstein and his father, Tal, also joined the crowd seeing Angrest off, though the 23-year-old needed more time to recover and would stay in the hotel for the time being.

Before taking their leave, Angrest and his family were filmed outside the hotel singing the “Acheinu” prayer for the release of captives, swaying arm-in-arm with the Kupersteins by an Israeli flag.

Freed Hamas hostages Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein and their families sing the “Acheinu” prayer outside Kfar Maccabiah Hotel before the former returns home to Kiryat Bialik on October 23, 2025. (Courtesy/Chen Leopold)

The family made stops at various points along the route, greeting well-wishers sporting Israeli flags, shirts from the campaign to bring the hostages home, and Maccabi Haifa merch.

Angrest returned to banners draped over the Kiryat Bialik municipality building that read: “Matan, welcome back home!”

Angrest, who served in a tank in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion on October 7, attended the Wednesday funeral of his commander, Daniel Perez, whose body was returned from Gaza.

Still weak from the abuse he suffered in captivity, Angrest paid tribute to his fallen commander, calling him “a figure to be admired.”

“My commander will always be my commander, until the day I die. You will go with me until my last day, as well as in the next life,” he said.

Earlier this week, Angrest came to Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to pay his respects to the others who were kidnapped, as well as the deceased whose bodies are still in Gaza.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.