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As he has done for the past 470 days, 78-year-old Shaul Levyi came on Sunday to the hostage square in Beer Sheva but this time he held up the picture of Omer Wenkert and not of his granddaughter Naama Levy who was released from Hamas captivity on Saturday.
Hundreds stopped to give him a hug and talk for a bit and many who were in cars passing by, honked their horns in support of the granddad who had become a familiar feature and a symbol of the struggle for the hostages to be freed.
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Shaul Levy holds up a photo of Omer Winkert after his granddaughter Naama was released
(Photo: Ilana Curiel)
Levy described the moment they met at the hospital. "In this situation, all you can do is hug, and just be," he said excitedly "I waited a bit to give her a moment and not pressure her." He said all he did was hug and kiss her and cry but did not ask her any questions. "The most important thing is to give her time to understand what she had been through and that now she is safe and surrounded by love."
But the enormity of the situation was clear. "I thought to myself now we are meeting her and this morning, the girls were sill in a tunnel, then made to participate in a show, to stand and be given release certificates."
He said there was a difficult emotion. "But they came through it and the main thing is that they are home. "One stone has been removed from the pile of weight," he said adding that he had a need to come back and stand as he had before, at the square, for closure.
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Four freed hotages arrive at hospital to reunite with family
(IDF, GPO)
A ceremony celebrating her release was held at Naama's old high school. Levy attended surrounded by hundreds of students who showered him with love and embraces. "All my strength when I stand before you, is dissipating," he told them. "There is nothing that brings me more joy than Naama that I was fortunate to hug and feel yesterday. Without words. And your embrace today is huge. I am shaking. There is such a wonderful community here and there are you, the students that I love."
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Levy said Omer Wenkert is now closest to him. His uncle Ricardo comes to the square everyday and we've become on e family. The goal was to bring Na'ama back and it was achieved. Now we need Omer to return and with him all of the hostages. We will continue the struggle because we will not be able to breath until they are home," he said.
"Each of us will find the way to rehabilitate us as a society, a people. We are here, religious and secular, right-wing and left-wing, but we all have one goal to be united."