Released hostage Ofer Kalderon has contracted pneumonia in the days after his release from the hospital, his family announced on Friday.
Kalderon, who was freed from Hamas captivity two weeks ago, was released from the returnees ward at Sheba Medical Center before returning home.
According to a statement from his family, he caught a case of the flu, which turned into pneumonia this past week.
As a result, he has been re-admitted to Sheba, where he is receiving care and is being closely monitored by a team of professionals.
His condition has led him to avoid contact with others for his protection, with the exception of his brother Nissan and sister-in-law Sharon, according to a statement by the family.
Avoiding contact to heal quickly
Though he is back in the hospital, his spirits remain high. According to a statement by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the trio shared a Friday night Shabbat meal together in his hospital room, praying for a speedy recovery.
“After 484 days, I have a brother born again,” Nissan said at the Nir Oz community rally in Carmei Gat Thursday evening.
However, he added that his brother returned “tired, depressed, and disappointed with the state that abandoned him on October 7 and abandoned him every day until he came home.” Nissan made these statements at the rally.
He described the time he had spent with his brother since he was released. “We are back to being a family. We had a Friday dinner together, and we even watched a movie together.
“We are here to tell the decision-makers: Enough is enough. We want everyone, today, here. It depends on you and only on you. Brothers and sisters, children and babies, need to return home because the State of Israel will not be able to recover or emerge from this terrible trauma without everyone coming back.”
Yanir Yagna contributed to this report.