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Gadi Mozes returned to Israel after nearly 16 months in Hamas captivity on Thursday. "There's no one happier than us,” His family said. “Light has returned to our lives thanks to a life-saving hostage deal."
In a video posted online, his son, Yair Mozes, was seen shaving the beard he grew throughout his father’s captivity — as he had promised to do upon his return.
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Yair and Gadi Mozes in Israel
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Gadi Mozes with his grandchildren
Mozes, who will soon turn 81, said, " I will do everything in my power to restore Nir Oz," the kibbutz from which he was abducted. "We were granted a miracle and got our father and grandfather, Gadi, back safe and sound after a year and four months of an uncompromising struggle filled with fear, terror, despair, worry and breathlessness,” his family said.
"Everything is filled with life again and we’re drawing strength from our incredible and extraordinary Gadi," they added. "We’re continuing this long and important struggle because every hostage family and all of Israel deserve to reach this moment.”
Shai, Gadi’s nephew, added, "We still don't know how aware he was of the scale of the disaster in Nir Oz. There were things he was exposed to before he was abducted. He knew about Efrat (his murdered partner), but I’m not sure he knew about the other kidnappings. He says he was alone the entire time — Arbel Yehud was the first hostage he met."
"He made sure to take walks in the mornings, counting tiles to measure his distance,” his nephew said. “He did various math exercises to keep his mind sharp, calculating how much he was walking. He managed to get a few books from his captors and read a little in English. He already knew Arabic, so he spoke with them in Arabic which helped him. Gadi is a people person — he knows how to communicate well."
"They let him write, he kept a journal and counted the days — just a few lines each day — but they took it away before his release. Gadi is on his feet, lost some weight but he’s still the Gadi we know. He told us that he saw me on TV. He saw other family members too, so he was exposed to the outside but in a very limited way. That’s how he knew that we weren’t stopping the fight for him."
"We're waiting for all restrictions to be lifted so we can really raise a glass with him," Shai said. "He hasn't had a chance to speak with the people from Nir Oz yet and we haven’t talked to him about the horrific moments during the release.
“I can only imagine how terrifying it was — those were 90 dreadful minutes. His son Yair explained that he had vowed not to shave and Gadi was happy to see his son had fought for him."
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His daughter-in-law, Einav, posted a photo of Mozes with his family, all raising a glass in celebration. "Over the past year, I told myself that if Gadi returns and immediately asks for a drink, I’ll be at peace because I’ll know our Gadi is back. And it happened just so. We were fortunate and we’ll keep fighting so that everyone gets to experience this moment."
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Gadi Mozes reuniting with family members in Israeli hospital
(Photo: Maayan Tuaf/GPO)
In a conversation with Ynet, Einav said, "It's hard to process everything that happened, it’s not easy to switch your mindset in an instant. This is a harsh reality. Understanding that he’s here with us, alive and on his feet — it just doesn’t register.
“We sat around him and he was talking and telling stories — and I couldn’t process it. But at the same time, it feels like he left yesterday and came back today because it’s so natural for him to be with us."
"He came back as the Gadi we know. We were afraid of how we would receive him, how he would return mentally and physically. Of course, there are effects, and it’s too early to know their full extent, but he seems to have held on to who he is. The kids got their grandpa back just as they knew him."
"We asked him, 'What kept you going in there?' and he answered, 'I thought about you. The desire to be with you again, to reunite and be together — that’s what kept me going,” she added.
“He said he kept repeating to himself, 'You have to hold on for the kids.' One of the things that really broke his spirit was the feeling of betrayal by the state. He said he kept asking himself, 'How is it possible that we’re still here?' And yet, he still believes in the country and told himself, ‘I'm sure they'll do everything to bring me back.’"