Freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami jokes, "I left as a size XL, but I returned as size Medium"

During an emotional reunion at Ichilov Hospital Saturday, Ohad Ben-Ami - held captive by Hamas for 491 days - showed his spirit remains unbroken despite his visibly gaunt appearance. "I left as extra large and came back medium," he quipped to his family, managing to find humor even after nearly 16 months in captivity.

The 56-year-old Israeli-German citizen's joke about his dramatic weight loss came during the tearful first moments with his three daughters Juli, Natalie, and Ella, who had waited nearly 500 days to embrace their father. His wife Raz, herself released from Hamas captivity in November 2023, was also present for the reunion.

Ben-Ami's ability to joke about his condition, even while appearing notably thin during his release alongside fellow hostages Or Levy and Eli Sharabi, offers a glimpse of resilience in the face of an ordeal that spanned two birthdays in captivity. His comment about his changed clothing size underscores the physical toll of his captivity, which Israeli officials have described as "shocking."

"I have so much, so much to catch up on," Ben-Ami told his family at the hospital, where he was surrounded by his mother Esther and brother Kobi, demonstrating both the weight of time lost and his focus on the future.

The reunion was documented by Government Press Office photographers, capturing a moment of light after 491 days of darkness.