Mother of Released Hostage Alon Ohel Pleads for Israeli Unity

The mother of Alon Ohel, an Israeli hostage recently freed after 737 days in captivity, delivered an emotional address today calling for national unity and healing.

Alon Ohel was abducted by Hamas during the attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and returned this week as part of a hostage release deal. His mother, Idit Ohel, speaking from Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel, shared that her son sustained severe injuries during his captivity, including the loss of vision in one eye and injuries from shrapnel treated with “amateur” medical care. Doctors are hopeful surgery may restore some vision.

“In captivity, he could see how the Israeli people were fighting for him,” Idit Ohel conveyed, relaying a message from her son. “He saw photos of people he never knew holding his picture — it gave him strength to survive.” She expressed gratitude to Israeli security forces, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and international mediators – including the United States, Germany, and Serbia – for their roles in securing his release. The release of hostages is a critical component of ongoing efforts to de-escalate the conflict in the region, as detailed by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Idit Ohel concluded with a powerful plea to her fellow Israelis, urging them to extend the unity felt during the return of hostages into a sustained effort for rebuilding and reconciliation. “The entire nation was united behind the joy on the returns, and our job is to extend this time go beyond to daily fight that brought us to down, to stop the hatred, the victimizing, the revenge, and go on a journey of unity and rebuilding,” she said. Further coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict can be found here.

Officials stated that Alon Ohel remains hospitalized for ongoing medical care and rehabilitation.