Hostages held for over a decade slated to come home Saturday

Avera Mengistu, 38, and Hisham al-Sayyed, 37, to be released on Saturday alongside four other Israeli captives.

By World Israel News Staff

Two Israeli hostages held in captivity by the Hamas terror group for more than 10 years are expected to be released in the coming days alongside an additional four Israelis kidnapped on October 7th.

The Israeli government officially confirmed that Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayyed are slated for release this Saturday.

Both Mengistu, now 38, and al-Sayyed, now 37, suffer from mental health issues and entered the Strip of their own accord in two separate incidents in 2014 and 2015.

Mengistu’s “parents, brothers, and sisters will travel to greet him,” a relative, Gil Elias, told Hebrew-language outlet Ynet.

“This is joyful and surprising news that we have been waiting for for more than 10 years,” Elias added.

“We are eagerly waiting for him to arrive, I want to see him walk out of there on his own two feet, with a smile,” he said.

In a media statement, al-Sayyed’s family said that while they are thrilled about his upcoming release, they empathize with the families of the hostages who will not be returned during this phase of the deal.

“Our Hisham will return home…but the good news about his expected return will not be complete until all the abductees return to their homes,” the family said.

“The ceasefire and hostage deal agreement must not be allowed to fail, and the fate of additional abductees must not be a decade in captivity.”

Al-Sayyed, a Bedouin-Israel, briefly served in the Israeli army but was discharged due to his mental health issues.

His father, also named Hisham, told Ynet that he had reached out to the families of those kidnapped on October 7th, as he understands their anguish.

“I visit some of the families. We try to be in touch with all of them,” he said. “They are from all sides of the political spectrums. We are in touch with families and not aligned with any political platform or movement.”