We are overjoyed and moved to see Naama standing strong and returning to us," released hostage Naama Levy's family said in a statement Saturday, as footage of Naama walking to a Red Cross vehicle circulated."Our hearts are with the Berger and Yehoud families who are still waiting for their loved ones," the family added, mentioning Agam Berger, an IDF observer who remains in captivity, and Arbel Yehoud, a civilian woman who was not yet released, in spite of the fact that civilian women are set to be released before soldiers.
"We will not rest until the last hostage returns," the family added.
Naama, a 20-year-old Raanana resident, is a triathlete who loves spending time with friends.
Family and friends describe her as quiet "yet full of light, joy, strength and determination," the Hostage Family Forum said.
An active member of the international community
Naama was a volunteer at both the United Nations and the Red Cross. One of the many organizations she volunteered with, Hands of Peace, sought to build a future of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
It was for her humanitarian work, and her telling her Hamas captors, "I have friends in Palestine," that the Jerusalem Post’s editor-in-chief Zvika Klein commented, “Her journey from promoting peace to becoming a symbol of the struggle for justice underscores the enduring human spirit’s capacity for resilience and the relentless pursuit of peace amidst conflict.”
Levy was abducted from the Nahal Oz base along with several other female IDF observers - some of whom were also released Saturday.
Levy’s plight quickly gained international attention when footage of her in Gaza, in bloodied grey sweatpants, circulated online. Released hostages told the family that she was wounded.