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After 482 days in captivity in Gaza and two weeks of recovery and medical examinations, Agam Berger, 20, a former IDF lookout abducted to Gaza on October, returned home to Holon on Friday. Hundreds of residents gathered to welcome her with Israeli flags.
"I'm excited," Berger said. "It's crazy — my heart is pounding." Acknowledging those still held in Gaza, she added, "Alongside all the joy here, it's not a complete celebration without them."
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Agam Berger in Holon
(Video: MIcky Schmidt)
Her parents, Meirav and Shlomi, spoke at a Purim event outside their home. "I was born in Holon and I'm so proud to be here with Agam and this community," Meirav said. "Nothing is impossible. Our biggest effort now is to focus our energy on bringing back all 59 hostages."
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Berger was kidnapped on October 7 from the operations room in the IDF's Nahal Oz base and freed from Hamas captivity on January 30 — five days after the release of four fellow lookouts Daniela Gillboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev, who also endured months in Gaza.
In an interview last month, Berger recalled, "We would listen to radio interviews, sometimes searching for ones with our families to stay updated on what was happening in Israel. For several months before the rescue operation in June (Operation Arnon), they let us listen — it changed how they treated us." She added, "It was hard to hear people talk about the 'cost of the deal' — as if our lives weren't worth enough."