Hagai Angrest, the father of kidnapped soldier Matan Angrest, said Wednesday afternoon that his family had received a sign of life from him through hostages recently released in the latest prisoner exchanges.
The accounts confirm that the armored corps soldier is alive but being held wounded under difficult conditions. This news comes six months after he was last seen in a recording from Gaza.
"We heard from the returning hostages that our beloved son Matan is alive. It was deeply moving for us," said Angrest. "It’s time to bring him home—along with all the others—without delay. We expect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phase of the deal as soon as possible. We all saw the harrowing images on Saturday—scenes of horror in 2025, right here in Israel. Bring back our Matan and all the hostages immediately. Their situation is dire; the time to act is now."
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Angrest described the intense emotions of waiting for hostages to emerge from captivity and the shock of seeing their condition. "We were all on edge Saturday, hoping to see people coming out of hell alive. When we saw the images, we were horrified. We know these hostages from delegations, but we barely recognized them," he said, referring to the recently released captives Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, and Eli Sharabi.
Families of hostages block highway demanding the release of their loved ones
(Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
"Hamas is responsible for crimes against humanity, but it is up to Netanyahu and the government to put an end to this nightmare," Angrest continued. "These images remind me of my grandmother’s release from Auschwitz. The person who can prevent this from continuing is the prime minister. His duty is to advance the next phase of the deal and expedite the return of Matan and all the hostages as soon as possible."