Father of hostage Almog Meir Jan ‘dies of broken heart’ hours before he is rescued

“My brother died of grief and didn’t get to see his son return. The night before Almog’s return, my brother’s heart stopped. He didn’t get to see his son return,” she told reporters.

“We are very happy about Almog’s return, but the brain is unable to absorb that this is the end. We are broken.”

According reports, Yossi Meir was found unconscious in his home by IDF officials who had come to tell him the good news about his son’s rescue.

Rabbi Lior Engelman, a close friend of Meir told Israeli media: "Yossi loved Almog with all his heart and was tormented day after day. His heart could not stand it and tragically 20 hours before the happiness that awaited him, it went quiet.”

Rabbi Engelman added that "Yossi was a man whose life was not easy along the way, and the grief over Almog gnawed at him every day."

Yossi's sister said he was constantly "glued to the television, clinging to every piece of information... he wanted to know everything that was happening to him and what he was going through."

Almog was one of the four hostages rescued by the IDF and was reunited with his family at Tel Hashomer Hospital after 246 days in Hamas captivity.

Almog and his mum together again (Photo: IDF)[Missing Credit]

According to reports Almog said that while he was a hostage he was shown footage of protests in Israel calling for the release of the hostages.

Orit Meir, mother of Almog Meir, 21 (pictured right) (Photo: Getty)[Missing Credit]

He said he recognised his own photo in the crowds on television.

Almog’s friends were overjoyed to be reunited with him for the first time.