This is the emotional moment a freed Israeli hostage learnt the name of his daughter who was born while he was held captive by Hamas.
Sagui Dekel-Chen embraced his wife Avital as they were reunited after 498 days.
After hugging for several seconds, Sagui asks Avital what she named their third daughter, who is now over a year old.
She replies she called the baby Shachar Mazal. Shachar in hebrew means ‘dawn’ or ‘sunrise’ while Mazal means ‘luck’ or ‘fortune’.
Expressing his approval, Sagui is heard saying ‘Perfect’, before kissing Avital.
Crying into her released husband’s shoulder, Avital is then heard saying: ‘You are a champion.’
Sagui was one of three hostages released by Hamas on Saturday in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners.
He was one of the first to sound the alarm as Hamas militants entered kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 2023. He was last seen at 9.30am, his father Jonathan said.
Sagui Dekel-Chen learnt the name of his daughter born while he was held in Gaza after embracing his wife
The moment Sagui was reunited with his wife Avital after 498 days apart
The couple embraced for several moments before Avital revealed she had named the couple’s third daughter ‘Shachar Mazal’
Israeli Yair Horn and Russian-Israeli man Alexander Trufanov were both also released after being held 16 months in Gaza.
It comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has facilitated the ongoing hostage-prisoner swaps between Israel and Hamas, said today it was ‘very concerned’ about the condition of the remaining captives held in Gaza.
In a sinister message, one of the hostages released, Yair Horn, was ‘gifted’ an hourglass by Hamas bearing a photograph of a captive still held in Gaza and the words ‘time is running out’.
The hourglass – a symbol that has been repeatedly used in ‘proof of life’ videos released by Hamas of the hostages – was given with a picture of hostage Matan Tsengauker, 25, who was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Six hostage prisoner swaps have been conducted since the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19.
A total of 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released back to Israel in exchange for 566 Palestinian prisoners held in various detainment centres.
During the previous exchange on February 8, Hamas forced three hostages to thank their captors in front of crowds of Palestinians gathered to witness their release in Gaza.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement is expected to last six weeks, but the agreement has been on the brink of collapse since it was signed.
Sagui’s father Jonathan speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC, January 19, 2025
Palestinians watch as Hamas fighters deploy ahead of the handover to the Red Cross of Israeli hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday February 8, 2025
Released hostage Yair Horn reunites with his family at Sourasky Medical Centre in Tel Aviv
Hamas presented Israeli hostage Yair Horn with an hourglass and a photograph of one of the hostages still held, Matan Tsengauker and his mother, with the words ‘time is running out’
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US continue to work to ensure both sides keep to the rules of the agreement.
Both sides have accused the other of not sticking to their part of the deal. Hamas has accused of Israel of obstructing aid into Gaza, while the Israeli government has taken issue with the public displays of gratitude released hostages has been forced to make.
The latest swap came after US President Donald Trump threatened earlier this week that ‘hell’ would break loose if Hamas failed to release ‘all’ remaining hostages by noon on Saturday.
But on Friday both sides signalled the hostage release scheduled for Saturday would go ahead.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to arrive in Israel late Saturday ahead of expected talks with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Gaza truce.
