Or Levy survived 491 days in Gaza - only to discover his wife was murdered on October 7th

In what would become his last moments of freedom, Or Levy, 34, spent just nine precious minutes with his wife Einav at the Nova festival before their world shattered on October 7. The software developer and his wife had left their two-year-old son Almog with his grandparents for what was meant to be a brief festival outing.

When rockets began falling, the couple sought refuge in what would tragically become known as the "death shelter." Or's final call to his mother Geula carried a chilling warning: "Mom, you don't want to know what's happening here." Moments later, Hamas terrorists attacked the shelter with grenades and gunfire. Einav was killed, and Or was taken to Gaza.

For 491 days, their son Almog, now three, has lived with his grandparents, his memories of his parents fading with time. "Almog keeps asking about his mom and dad," his uncle Michael told the UN, pleading for Or's return. "Even when we try to explain, he doesn't understand why he can't see his father or what the words 'Mom is never coming back' mean."

The last confirmed sighting of Or came from two pieces of footage: one showing him in the shelter, covered in his wife's blood and begging for his life as terrorists questioned him in Arabic, and another from June 2024 showing him in a pickup truck being driven toward Gaza alongside other hostages, including the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Eliya Cohen.

Or was released earlier today, along with Yossi Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami. He only discovered the devastating news that Einav was murdered in the shelter on October 7th after his release.

Ynet contributed to this article.