Great excitement and joy in the city of Herzliya with the return home of the abducted brothers Maya and Itay Regev.
Itai, 18, and Mia, 21, went to the Nova party together. When the terrorist attack began, they called their father, Ilan. Mia told her father in tears: "I'm being shot, I'm being shot, I'm dead," and contact with them has since been severed.
Maya and Itay Regev with family members on the day they were discharged from the hospital, photo: Soroka Spokesperson's Office
Maya was released from Hamas captivity about a week and a half ago, wounded in the leg and her brother in captivity. Five days later, Itai was released too, and the brother and sister were reunited. Since their liberation, they have been treated at Saroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and finally returned home in Herzliya in the evening.
The excitement in Herzliya was already felt the day before when calls were circulated on social networks to express support for them. The municipality called on the residents: "Let's welcome them together with excitement and joy with Israeli flags. We will stand by the side of the road on their route home. We are excited to see them back at home, and hope for the speedy return of Omer Shem Tov, a resident of the city."
The residents responded to the calls and hundreds of them showed up in the afternoon with Israeli flags on the streets of Sokolev, Ben Gurion and Rabbi Akiva, expressing joy, support and encouragement for the abducted brother and sister who returned home. Vehicles passing along the route honked their horns in solidarity.
"Feels like I'm their family"
Moran Bachar came with her two children and a large bouquet of flowers. "I came to welcome the hostages home. We kept praying for them and continue to pray for the other abductees who remained in captivity. I hope we can give them the bouquet of flowers and even if we don't, they see our love and that's enough. It's very exciting, I can't describe. The day they came back, we couldn't stop crying. It's not knowing someone and loving them."
Danny Arouti arrived with a flag. "We're excited that Mia and Itai are coming home. They are happy that they were released from the hospital and are returning to their lives. I don't know them personally but I feel like I'm their family. We have all become one family in these days. God willing, all the abductees will return. It was important for me to come and support them. A little joy for the people of Israel after what we went through."
Hannah Ben Haim also arrived with a flag. "They announced that they would move out of here and they should be hugged. It is important to make them happy after what they went through through through no fault of their own. I don't know them, but it was important for me to come and show support."
Quite a few children also came to express their support. 4-year-old Rotem came with her mother Zohar, carrying a disc around her neck in solidarity with the abductees. "I came to wave the flag for the abductees, I'm glad they're back," she says with a little help from her mother.
Herzliya Mayor Moshe Fadlon said: "The city of Herzliya is happy and excited about Maya and Itai's return home. The residents of the city embrace them with a lot of love and we at the municipality will do everything to help and assist them in whatever they need. We hope for the speedy return of Omer Shem Tov, a resident of the city, and the release of all the abductees in Israel. We will not rest until everyone returns to us soon, safe and sound."
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