During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Yadid Akerman was injured by mortar shells and while receiving medical treatment, he lost his personal belongings, including his disk-on-key and personal wallet. Hamas celebrated finding the loot and released a video showcasing Akerman's disk-on-key and the contents of his wallet – a student ID, health insurance card, and his Rav Kav public transportation card.
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At that time, Akerman did not expect to ever see his lost belongings again. "The first thing I did was laugh," he told Ynet. "I was disappointed that my friends didn't take my things, since I had comrades with me in the armored personnel carrier, but I've already renewed all the documents, so it doesn't bother me. As for the money, it should go to someone who needs it."
A few days ago, Akerman received a surprising phone call from the deputy battalion commander of the Rotem Battalion in the Givati Brigade. "We found your gear," he told him.
"I was a bit shocked; almost 10 years have passed since then," Akerman recalled. "It's very symbolic, a kind of closure. Just as they found such a small wallet, I believe that if the IDF is given the power, they can bring everyone back home. Just like they returned the disk-on-key, they can bring back the hostages."
Maj. Idan, the deputy battalion commander of Rotem, described how Akerman's personal belongings were found. "We reached Khan Younis and started searching for hostages. Hamas hid from the forces and fired from hideouts in the buildings. After clearing a suspicious structure, the battalion entered to search for intel. In a thorough check of the building, they found many intelligence materials, but it turned out there was also an Israeli wallet with a soldier's disk-on-key. The wallet remained intact with all its contents."
"For us, the return of the disk-on-key is a symbolic message – it indicates how the IDF operates to bring back the hostages, turning every stone to find those who were kidnapped by the terror organization," added Maj. Idan. "The hostges are with terrorists who only understand force. This entire campaign is to bring people back alive, and we do everything possible for that."