Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham freed from Hamas, back in Israel

Hostages Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu have been released from Hamas captivity and been reunited with their families in Israel.
 

[Missing Credit]

The men were paraded on stage in Rafah by masked gunmen, and handed ‘release certificates’ written in Hebrew.

Three white vehicles had arrived at the site of the ceremony in Rafah, and two female representatives from the Red Cross were present. They were seen on the stage signing papers. Four more hostages are expected to be released later today. 

Israeli hostages Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham being released from Gaza (Getty)AFP via Getty Images

Avera Mengistu, 37, is an Ethiopian Jewish man from Ashkelon, who has been in Hamas captivity for 11 years since he entered Gaza in 2014, when he was suffering from mental health problems. 

He was last seen in September 2014 after crossing into northern Gaza from the beach at Zikim.

Despite being spotted by IDF security cameras, Mengistu crossed the fence before troops could intervene and was captured by a Hamas patrol.

Tal Shoham, 39, a dual Israeli-Austrian citizen from Maale Tzviya, who was abducted on October 7 while visiting his wife’s family in Kibbutz Be’eri during Simchat Torah.

His wife Adi Shoham, children, and several relatives were also taken hostage but released in November.

Tragically, Shoham’s father-in-law, along with his wife’s aunt and uncle, were killed in the attack.

His wife said last year that she had been asked by their two kids in his absence, including “When is dad coming home?” and “Mom, are we going to die?”