Freed hostage Evyatar David was reunited with his family on Monday, after 738 days in captivity and two months after the Hamas terrorist organization published a harrowing video of an emaciated Evyatar forced to dig his own grave.
He later also reunited with his best friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, also freed from captivity on Monday. The two friends attended the Nova Music Festival together on October 7, 2023, were kidnapped together and held together for most of their time in captivity, but had been separated in recent weeks.
The August video of an emaciated Evyatar was widely condemned worldwide, including by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who described the footage as "despicable" and "unbearable,” and by US President Donald Trump, who said, “I think it's horrible. And I hope a lot of people do get to see it as bad as it is, because I think it's a horrible thing.”
Sky News Australia host Rowan Dean ripped those who participated in an anti-Israel march across Sydney's Harbor Bridge and called on them to support David in the wake of the horrific video released by Hamas.
Speaking to Channel 12 News on Monday, after reuniting with his son, Evyatar’s father Avishai said that the terrorists continued to starve his son after releasing the video and tried to fatten him up before releasing him.
"He is still weak, thin - but he will be okay. He is starting to eat," added Avishai.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)