Yosef-Haim Ohana (25), who was kidnapped from the Nova Festival and held for 738 days in Hamas captivity, returned home on Sunday to Kiryat Malakhi.
Yosef-Haim was welcomed in the city, accompanied by hundreds of people who blew shofars. He shared in the emotional ceremony, "We have a reason to celebrate after these two years. We need to live with great gratitude and remember that nothing is taken for granted. Keep smiling and being happy." He thanked the city's residents. "The residents of Kiryat Malakhi don't call it that for nothing. For me, each of you is like an angel welcoming me back home and doing good for me."
Yosef-Haim Ohana survived 738 days in captivity.
Today, he walks out of rehabilitation and finally returns home to Kiryat Malachi, stepping back into his life with a joy that words can't begin to describe.
Welcome home Yosef 💛 pic.twitter.com/JpGMqylaip
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) November 30, 2025
Avi Ohana, Yosef-Haim's father, said through tears, "After millions of prayers from the people of Israel who cried out, there wasn't one percent chance he would return home – this is our own parting of the Red Sea." His mother Miriam thanked emotionally, "I want to thank Bibi Netanyahu, the soldiers, and everyone who took part in his return. With God's help, may everyone return until the last hostage."
The city mayor shared about Yosef, "How much insight, wisdom, and pure modesty you have, Yosef-Haim." At the ceremony, they planted an etrog tree after his father shared about the miracle of the Four Species (Arba'at HaMinim – lulav, etrog, hadass, and aravah) that allegedly brought his son home. "A few days before October 7, you blessed over the Four Species, and I told you that blessing would keep you alive. I didn't know about the festival and what would happen a few days later."
A few days before Yosef returned, the father bought a set of Four Species, hoping they would bless him. "We merited that you blessed on the last day of the holiday over the Four Species in addition to the Shehecheyanu (blessing of gratitude for reaching a new occasion) night."
Ohana is the son of a single mother. On October 7, he went out to celebrate at the party in Re'im but was kidnapped from there by the terrorists after he helped evacuate the wounded to medics and ambulances along with his friend. For two weeks, he was defined as missing, and the family didn't know what happened to him. "I was happy he was alive, but before that, there was uncertainty about what was happening with him," said Miri Ben Ami, his mother.
Ohana shared in an interview after his return on Channel 12 that his captors used to put the hostages in difficult and jarring situations. "They sat us down and told us, 'Your country did such and such, now we're taking revenge.' They made us choose who to kill and who only to injure. They ran a lottery on us," he recounted.
He described how, at first, the hostages hoped to see their captors – perhaps to receive a bit of water or tea – but very quickly that light in the tunnel became a symbol of fear. "Every time we saw flashlights, we had an anxiety attack. We would have preferred they not come for a week, a month, that they leave us alone," he said. According to him, on one occasion, "They came in, we greeted them with peace, and suddenly they started beating us. They stood us against the wall, pulled off shirts, and began hitting."
