Four Hamas hostages were freed on Saturday, June 8, according to the Israeli military. The father of one of them died on the day of the release, according to his aunt, who assures that he “died of grief”.
Father and son will not be reunited. Almog Meir Jan’s father, Israeli freed Saturday June 8 after he was Hamas hostage for 8 months, died a few hours earlier from a heart attack. According to the ex-hostage’s aunt, his brother “died of grief”, despairing at the idea of never seeing his son again.
“My brother died of grief and could not see his son coming home,” Dina Jan assured Israeli public radio this Sunday. can.
“The evening before returning from Almog, my brother had a heart attack,” she explains. Almog Meir Jan (22) was freed on Saturday during an Israeli army operation in the Gaza Strip.
The aunt is in a hurry to announce the good news
Informed of the release by a phone call from the Israeli army, who could not reach her father, Dina Jan exploded with joy and decided to go directly to her brother Yossi Jan.
“I was driving like crazy, banging on his door, ‘Yossi, Yossi, Yossi’, and nothing,” she says. But she finally finds him passed out in his living room, when she comes to give him the good news.
“We are very happy about Almogo’s return, but the brain cannot understand that this is really the end,” she adds, torn between joy and sadness.
Yossi Jan died at the age of 57. His send-off is planned for this Sunday. According to the Hostage Families Forum, his son will be present with the rest of his family.
He “couldn’t stand” this situation
“Yossi, my brother, Almog’s father, remained glued to the television for eight months, clinging to the smallest piece of information,” he still remembers, recalling a long period of anxiety.
“He loved Almog so much, he cared so much about him, he wanted to know what was happening to him and what he was going through. He couldn’t take it, every (potential hostage release) blowing up in his face and breaking his heart,” he swears she.
“He lost 20 kg, he couldn’t handle (this situation). Everyone was worried about Yossi, but he couldn’t communicate with anyone,” she sighs.
Four hostages released
Almog Meir Jan, 22, was abducted by Hamas during an attack on October 7, 2023, in the Gaza Strip. He remained in prison for 8 months, before he was released again on Saturday.
Along with him, three other hostages were released on Saturday: Noa Argamani (26), Andrey Kozlov (27) and Shlomi Ziv (41). They were kidnapped during the Nova electro music festival.
At least 274 people were killed during Saturday’s Israeli operation, which freed four hostages, the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run government in Gaza said on Sunday.