Israeli Hostage Omri Miran Returns Home After Two Years in Hamas Captivity: Family's Emotional Reunion

Omri with wife Lishay Miran-Lavi and father Dani Miran after his release

New Delhi:

"Daddy's here, Daddy's back. In just a moment, Daddy will give you a hug," Lishay Miran-Lavi assured her daughters Roni and Alma Miran during a video call as she awaited her husband Omri Miran's return. Omri was one of the Israeli hostages captured during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks and released today under a ceasefire agreement.

Emotional footage shows the dedicated mother comforting her young children, telling them their two-year wait for their father was finally ending.

"Do you remember what Mom told you? Do you remember that I told you Dad would come soon? Dad has come back," she says tenderly in the video.

Lishay Miran-Lavi mentioned that Roni, 4, and Alma, 2, had specially dressed up for the momentous reunion. The children's excited voices can be heard clearly during the call. "My sweethearts, in a few hours, Daddy will give you a hug if you want. And a kiss if you want. And you can show him your drawings," she tells them lovingly.

Twenty Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released in two groups, handed over to Red Cross representatives at Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. They were subsequently transported to an Israeli defense facility near Reim for medical evaluation before finally reuniting with their families, ending years of painful uncertainty.

Omri Miran was among the first batch of seven hostages transferred to the Red Cross. Shortly afterward, Lishay shared a heartwarming photograph showing Omri with herself and his father, captioning it: "Daddy Omri is home."

Approximately 12 hours before Omri's release, Lishay had posted a photograph of their daughters Roni and Alma beaming with joy, with the caption: "Prepared and ready for Daddy Omri."

According to The Times of Israel, Miran was abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas attack. Terrorists forced the family to open their door by threatening to shoot a neighbor. Before Omri was taken, Lishay told him "not to be a hero," saying, "I love you, and I'll take care of the girls. I'll wait for you."

In a heartfelt appeal to world leaders, particularly US President Donald Trump, earlier this year, Lishay stated that Israel is "not truly free while hostages remain behind enemy lines." She wrote, "True independence means no one is left behind. My daughters need their father. I need my husband. And our people need hope. Bring them home. All of them. Now." Today, Omri, along with 19 other Israelis, has finally returned home.