A 9-year-old Israeli boy who spent 49 days in Hamas captivity with his mother and grandmother shared a joyful reunion with his father and brother when he was finally released as part of the cease-fire agreement on Friday.
Ohad Monder – flanked by his mother, 55-year-old Keren, and 78-year-old grandmother Ruti – turned a corner to see his father, Avi Zichri, waiting at the end of the hallway with his arms open wide for an embrace, the video showed.
Ohad breaks into a run and meets his father, who quickly sweeps him up off the ground into a heartwarming hug.
Ohad’s older brother pats him on the head before catching sight of Keren and rushing to embrace her.
The Schneider Children’s Medical Center later shared a portrait of the foursome smiling together.
Ohad was later photographed enjoying a Rubix cube while loved ones looked on.
Keren, Ruti, and Ohad were abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.
They were among the 24 hostages released as part of the four-day cease-fire agreement on Friday.
When the family reunited, Ruti was overheard saying that she learned her son, Roy, was killed in the Hamas invasion while listening to the radio, the Times of Israel reported.
Additional footage also showed Keren learning that her father, 78-year-old Avraham Monder, was also taken hostage.
“So he wasn’t murdered,” a tearful Keren could be heard replying.
Ohad turned 9 while in captivity on Oct. 23 – and finally enjoyed a belated ice cream celebration with ice cream on Saturday, former speechwriter Aviva Klompas shared on X.
“Raise an ice cream to Ohad!” Klompas wrote alongside a photograph of Monder toasting ice cream cones with a circle of fellow youngsters.
“He turned 9 as a hostage of Hamas. Today, he got to spend time with his friends and celebrate. May this boy know only sweetness in his life from this day forward.” Klompas added.