Days after his dramatic rescue, Orit, the mother of Almog Meir Jan—one of the four hostages freed during the daring operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza—stood before the media at Sheba Medical Center to share some of his harrowing experiences in captivity.
Orit spoke about the deep bond that formed between her son and the two other hostages held with him, Shlomi Ziv and Andrey Kozlov. She highlighted how this connection strengthened them and helped them endure the horrors they faced.
Almog Meir Jan's mother shares details about his captivity, rescue
(Video: Yaron Brenner)
During the press conference, Orit expressed immense joy over her son's release, saying she hasn’t stopped smiling since, and vowed to continue fighting for the 120 remaining hostages still held captive. She urged the government to advance the deal with Hamas. Almog's uncle, Aviram, stressed the importance of realizing the "Netanyahu deal."
Meanwhile, Shlomi Ziv, who was also freed in the rescue operation and held with Meir Jan and Kozlov, was discharged from Sheba Medical Center on Monday. Noa Argamani, who was rescued from a nearby house during the heroic operation on Saturday, is expected to be released from Sourasky Medical Center on Tuesday or after Shavuot.
"Yesterday was my birthday, and my wish came true," Orit Meir said as she began her afternoon statement. Initially speaking in English for the international media, she shared, "I haven't stopped smiling since my Almog was returned to me. All I can do now is hug him. Last night, I had my first full night of sleep in eight months."
Orit called on the government to advance the deal on the table to free the remaining hostages. "My birthday wish is for all the hostage families to feel this way. I'm one of the lucky ones. There are 120 families who are waiting without being able to breathe or sleep without thinking about the loved one in Gaza."
3 View gallery
Almog Meir Jan embraces his mother Orit after his rescue from captivity
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
She recounted the phone call she received on Saturday informing her of Almog's release. "I said I didn't understand in the beginning. 'Sorry, tell me again. Alomg [has been] rescued? He’s alive?' I screamed. I was so happy. All the people gathered around me... and they sang "Am Yisrael Chai" (the people of Israel live) and they danced... It was so exciting.
Almog's uncle, Aviram, also called for the deal to be implemented. "120 other families are waiting for this exact moment—to be able to breathe. We want those 120 to come and be embraced by their families. We expect the Netanyahu deal to take place and for all the hostages to return."
He thanked the security forces for the execution of Operation Arnon but emphasized, "We understand such an operation cannot be repeated for 120 people. We ask decision-makers to implement the plan on the table. Look at the joy in the people of Israel; the energy this nation is receiving is incredible. We will rebuild everything here and make a massive correction, just bring them back."
When asked about Almog's experiences in captivity, Orit said, "Almog was in captivity for eight months. It's a long time. He went through various experiences, but what I can say is that his bond with the other hostages greatly helped to strengthen their spirits, hope and faith. The connection gave them immense strength, and that's what kept them going. They never lost hope until they were rescued. They always felt that this day would come when they would return. Almog is strong and needs to get through this. Imagine he had no identity for those eight months. They took his freedom."
She mentioned her son had limited exposure to media during captivity through Al Jazeera. "They absorbed many things. He learned Arabic and Russian because Andrey spoke Russian. They had a lot of time to talk among themselves. The bond was strong," she said, emphasizing that Almog, Andrey and Shlomi were held together for more than half a year and developed their own language. "They had nicknames and their own signs." She added that her son also saw the rally for the hostages held in Tel Aviv on May 11. "He saw pictures of himself on the stage at the rally," she noted.
With a voice breaking from tears, she added that she never lost hope that her son would return to her. "I always said, 'He’s coming back, he’s coming back to me.'" She reiterated the urgency of advancing the deal, pressing Hamas. "The urgency here is very high," she said. "It’s time to bring the hostages home. Some for burial and some for rehabilitation. They need to be here now."
At the end of the statement, Almog's uncle Aviram promised to continue working with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, and Orit emphasized, "We will not give up until everyone returns."
Just hours shy of his release
She noted that "there is a lot of information" that her son and the other rescued hostages will need to process and that some of it will be hard for them to digest. Almog's father, Yossi Jan, passed away hours before his rescue due to a heart attack—Orit mentioned, "We went through a difficult event that also needs to be processed. My son is sitting shiva." Aviram said that his nephew is doing okay. "He is still undergoing tests and treatments. He is being examined, and we are happy he arrived as he did. We actually expected worse."
3 View gallery
On Al Jazeera, captives saw the Tel Aviv rallies with their signs
(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
Just hours after Operation Arnon, named after Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora who fell during the intense firefight that ensued, the families held a press conference where Almog's mother Orit also spoke—conveying her son's first message. "We have a strong people. I support the fighters, and I wish for all the hostages to return home safely," she said on his behalf.
As Orit described, Almog's sister, Ge'ut, also shared that her brother watched the events happening in Israel during his captivity and saw the rallies and actions for the hostages: "What kept Almog going in captivity was faith. He watched Al Jazeera and knew people were fighting for him. I appeal to the families—keep going. They see it. It’s very important. It gives them a lot of strength. He saw the rally in Tel Aviv and saw the signs."