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‘Then the tears will start flowing’: Israeli speaks of release after more than four months as hostage
An Israeli describes the moment he was rescued after being held captive by Hamas for more than four months.
Louis Herr, 71, was taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
He and four other relatives, including his partner’s teenage niece, who brought the dog with him, were taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak at gunpoint to Gaza.
The three female hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in November, but Mr. Ha and his partner’s 61-year-old brother were held in Rafah until they were rescued in February.
He awoke in the middle of the night on February 12 to the sound of an explosion and, thinking the building was under attack, evacuated.
There were gunshots and someone shouted his name, adding: “This is the Israel Defense Forces. We’re here to take you home.”
He told Reuters the experience was surreal. “On the way, I even asked one of the soldiers, “Tell me, is it true that we’re not in the movie?”
“Because I wasn’t sure. So many things happened. Is it real or is it not real?”
“I still don’t know what’s true and what’s a lie.”
He said he spent his time in captivity talking with his partner’s brother about things like what they wanted to cook and where they would travel after their release.
He said that sometimes they were depressed and silent, but then he imagined talking to his grandchildren and playing with them. And he would imagine being hugged by them.
“I felt it in my body,” he said. “And the tears will start flowing.”
He said he still wakes up at night and remembers his experiences, and that noises sometimes bring back memories.
“It’s impossible to just forget, like, ‘Now I’m in Israel and it’s over.’ No, it’s inside.”
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