"Moves me deeply"

Israeli president visits former hostage Tal Shoham

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog with former hostage Tal Shoham(Bild: zVg)

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog has visited the former Austrian-Israeli hostage Tal Shoham. He posted a photo of the meeting on Platform X on Thursday. The politician wrote that the whole of Israel was "moved".

Shoham was recently released after 505 days in Hamas captivity. He had been kidnapped from Israel during the brutal terror attack on October 7. His wife Adi was also abducted - together with their two children Neve and Yahal. They were released as part of the first hostage agreement.

Now Tal and his wife Adi have received a prominent visit: Israel's President Yitzhak Herzog met the couple at their home. "Tal, I am deeply moved to see you. I think all of Israel is moved to see you. You are a national hero, and we must do everything we can to bring back those who were with you (...)," the politician said.

You can see Herzog's post here.

Ex-hostage: "Mixed feelings"
 Shoham told the president that while it was good to be back home, his feelings were mixed. For example, he had left behind a new family. "Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Eviatar David were with me throughout my captivity - they are my brothers. It's still too early to sit back, relax and recover from everything that has happened, because their lives are in danger and we need to bring everyone home."

Negotiations halted
Hamas kidnapped a total of 251 people in the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. More than half of them have since been released. As of the end of February, 59 hostages were still being held in the Gaza Strip, according to the Relatives' Forum, and only around 27 of them are believed to be still alive.

There are currently no negotiations between Israel's government and Hamas. The ceasefire has expired. During this phase, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages alive and handed over eight dead prisoners. In return, the Israeli authorities released 1904 Palestinians from prisons, including terrorists and murderers.