We talk so much about how terribly Hamas treats the hostages, and they do. But gone are the days when Israel treated its prisoners well. Under Ben-Gvir and friends, Israel intentionally holds prisoners in terrible conditions. Often without charges. Our moral grounds to point fingers at others are fast eroding and the entire world sees it.

Three-year-old Almog met his father, Or, for the first time after 491 days in Hamas captivity. Or’s brother recalls: Almog said to his father, “Dad, you were gone for a long time.” Or responded, “That’s right.” “Dad, you look different today.” Or replied, “That’s right.” Then Almog asked, “Why didn’t Mom return?” It was unbearable for Or—he cried. And then Almog said, “Mom is dead. She won’t come back.” Somehow, Almog had already begun to process the trauma of losing his mother, while Or hadn’t. Now, Almog will be the one helping his father through his grief. They spent a few hours together, lying in bed, hugging. Almog gave Or food that he wasn’t supposed to eat during his recovery, but Or couldn’t bring himself to say no to his son—so he ate it. Despite their long separation, their bond was instant. It was remarkable, considering that Almog was just a baby when Or was kidnapped. In the morning, Almog woke up and said, “I’m so happy that Dad came back.” He hadn’t yet slept beside his father, so he asked to record a video of him and then said, “Dad, I really, really love you. I’m so happy you’re back!” For the past 16 months, the family told Almog that his father was away in a place he couldn’t return from yet, along with others who had been taken. On Friday, we told him, “It’s Dad’s time to come back. Dad is coming home!”

BREAKING 🔴 The US is opening an investigation against Hamxs for October 7