Ex-Hamas hostage finally home after 5 months in mental hospital

Freed from Hamas captivity in February, former hostage Avera Mengistu released from medical center after five months of psychiatric hospitalization.

By World Israel News Staff

A former Hamas captive who was held by the terror group for more than a decade was finally released from Ichilov Hospital on Tuesday, after spending nearly five months at the medical center.

Avera Mengistu, 38, crossed from Israel into the Gaza Strip in 2014 while experiencing an acute psychiatric episode.

Mengistu, who suffers from mental illness, was captured by Hamas and endured torture and starvation during his 10 years in captivity.

He was freed as part of a truce and hostage deal in February 2025, but spent several months in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the ordeal.

“I still can’t process that he is here with us. I am very proud of him for the journey and the progress he has made since returning from captivity, despite all the hardships and ups and downs,” Mengistu’s sister, Almanesh, told Ynet.

“He has undergone a significant rehabilitation process. We thank Ichilov Hospital and its Mental Health Department for the dedicated, intensive, and compassionate care they provided to Avera and our family, which made his release possible.”

Gil Elias, Mengistu’s cousin, told Ynet that the family was “excited” by Mengistu’s progress.

“Avera feels embraced and protected, and that’s the most important thing. What we’re all trying to do now is make sure he doesn’t lack for anything,” Elia said, stressing that the family is working to ensure that “he can always receive the highest quality and most beneficial [mental health] treatments possible.

Speaking to Kan News at the time of Mengistu’s release, Elias said that his relative did not speak about his time in Gaza.

Mengistu returned from captivity “in relatively good physical condition,” Elias said in February.

“He has some scars, probably from what he went through there. He communicates with the family and speaks, recalling small memories from the past —little things, like a movie they watched or a cookie someone gave him.”

However, Elias added that Mengistu is “silent” When asked about his time as a hostage.

“It’s likely a defense mechanism or a form of repression,” Elias said. “I’m not even sure he fully understands that everything happening now is real.”