Hostage Or Levy, a 33-year-old from Givatayim, is set to be freed from captivity on Saturday in the hostage deal's fifth handover after 491 days in Gaza. Levy was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, where his wife, Einav, was murdered.
His mother, Geula, reacted emotionally to the news, saying, “My heart is leaping from my chest. For a year and four months, the little one [their 3-year-old son, Almog] has been alone without his father and mother. Finally, Or is coming back to us — I can’t believe it.”
Gaula added: “Our military liaison officer updated us — she couldn’t even speak. She’s been with us since the first day. We’re one family. I don’t even know what to say, I’m so excited. I’m not sure if I’ll make it to [the reunion at] Re’im due to some physical limitations.
"I’m just thinking about the hug. How do I hug him after so long? This is a child I talk to every day. We told little Almog, and he screamed, ‘Dad is coming back!’ while he jumped on the bed.”
Or and Einav met in high school, became close friends and later married, welcoming their first son, Almog. Family and friends described their shared love for travel and festivals. They arrived at the Nova festival minutes before the rocket barrage began, having left then-2-month-old Almog with his grandparents.
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During the attack, they hid inside a shelter where Einav was murdered by terrorists after being found. Months later, footage emerged of Or’s abduction.
Or’s brother, Michael, posted on Facebook: “Mogi [Almog's nickname], we found Dad,” adding a yellow heart emoji. He previously recounted: “Or called our mom when the sirens started. She told him they were at the party. She said they were heading home, so I didn’t panic.
"Even when videos of terrorists on trucks surfaced, I thought they were fake. Around 8:30 a.m., Mom said she couldn’t reach Or. She was crying and I got angry — told her the lines were down and not to be stressed. Two hours later, my uncle called asking about Or. I sensed something was wrong and set up a war room at home.”
Michael continued: “We chased every lead until Wednesday, when we learned Einav was murdered. Or was listed as missing for eight days after October 7 — then they told us he was kidnapped.”