Heartwarming
Hostage Eitan Mor Reunites With His Weeping Parents | WATCH
After 738 days in Hamas captivity, 25-year-old Eitan Mor has finally come home. Abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, his return closes one of the war’s longest ordeals. As he embraced his parents through tears at the Re’im base, their two-year nightmare gave way to quiet gratitude and a plea not to forget those who never made it back.
Eitan Mor, a 25-year-old from the settlement of Kedumim, has been released by Hamas after 738 days in captivity.
Abducted on October 7, 2023, while working as a security guard at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, Mor was taken during the deadly attack that killed hundreds. He holds Israeli citizenship and grew up in a religious family; his father, Zvika Mor, is a prominent activist with the "The Choice of Life" forum for hostage families, often criticizing the government's handling of negotiations.
Signs of life from Mor were received in March 2024 and again in February 2025 via a released hostage, providing hope to his parents, Efrat and Zvika.
As part of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, Mor was among the initial seven hostages handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, then transferred to IDF forces.
He crossed into Israel alongside Alon Ohel, Matan Angrest, Gali and Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.Emotional footage shows Mor reuniting with his parents at the IDF's Re'im base, embracing them tightly amid tears of joy.
In a brief video, Mor credited his survival to his father's advice: "Sometimes it's better to be smart than right." His family issued a statement expressing overwhelming gratitude to the IDF, security forces, and U.S. President Donald Trump, while calling for continued efforts to recover the remains of deceased hostages.This release marks a poignant milestone in the historic agreement ending the two-year war.