Hostage Or Levy Struggles to Rebuild Life After 491 Days in Gaza

After 491 harrowing days in captivity, former hostage Or Levy finally returned home, only to confront an unimaginable loss. His wife, Einav, was killed during the Nova party massacre, leaving their young son, Almog, alone and waiting for his father’s return. Since coming back to Israel under a prisoner exchange, Levy has been focused on repairing his bond with Almog and ensuring the trauma of abandonment never repeats itself.

In recent interview with journalist Niv Raskin, Levy opened up about the challenges of reconnecting with his son, the lingering fears and anxieties, and the emotional toll of seeing videos of other hostages, including Rom Breslavsky and Evitar David.

Rebuilding Trust

Former hostage, Or Levy's biggest pain goes beyound his suffering during captivity. It is the pain of a father who faces his son's suffering, agravated by the fact that the child's sorrow “When I’m away from him for just a few hours, his fear resurfaces,” Levy says.

“He asks me if I’ll get lost again. Children have separation anxiety, but in his case, it’s real. He was truly abandoned. I’m constantly working to restore his trust, to show him I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Losing his mother only adds to the situation, he keeps asking about her, keeps talking about her.”

Reliving the Captivity

Levy described the visceral impact of watching hostage videos alongside news of potential prisoner deals.

“It hits me deeply, taking me back to captivity. Every time there was a glimmer of hope, a deal in the works, and it fell apart, the despair was overwhelming. The psychological pressure, the punishments, the constant uncertainty… it was unbearable.”

He recalls the moments after negotiations broke down, when captors used food deprivation, psychological tactics, and even physical violence, including tighter leg shackling, to exert control.

People wait for the arrival of released hostages Or Levy and Eli Sharabi at the Sheba Medical center in Ramat Gan (Photo: omer Neuberg/Flash90)

“The videos of Rom Breslavsky and Evitar David were suffocating,” Levy says. “It wasn’t the words or the script Hamas created, it was seeing them, their eyes, their bodies. It reminded me painfully of what I went through and that they didn’t make it back. That reality is crushing.”

Confronting Political Realities

Levy also reflected on statements from government officials hinting that some hostages might not return. “I can’t comprehend it. The lives of 20 people, plus 30 casualties, are not worth such words. It feels as if it’s from another country, not our own.”

Even six months after his release, the memories of captivity continue to shadow daily life. “Every choice, what I eat, when I go to the bathroom, where I go, triggers flashbacks of where I was and where so many others still are,” Levy explains. “Freedom feels constant, yet the trauma is still present for so many people.”