As Luis Har, 70, and Fernando Marman, 60, sat in an IDF armored vehicle in Gaza in the early morning hours of February 12, the two men could not believe that they were finally heading home. After 129 days in Hamas captivity with little to eat and no access to medication, the starving men were in disbelief that the IDF commandos had been able to extract them in a complex rescue mission from the heart of a civilian neighborhood at Rafah, where they were being held. When asked by the IDF soldiers if they were warm enough, Fernando replied with a big smile that their hearts were especially warm. 

In an interview with The New York Sun, one of his nieces, Maayan Sigal-Koren, said that she and her family were also in disbelief that their beloved relatives were finally free. “It’s an amazing feeling to have Fernando and Luis back home,” she said. 

“We took for granted our regular family routines of dinners and get-togethers,” Ms. Sigal-Koren said. “What I missed the most during the time my family was held hostage, was that feeling of being together. We would always have delicious Argentianian meat dinners.  Fernando was in charge of preparing the asado. We like to drink wine, chat, and argue loudly. My kids love playing with Luis.” 

The two men underwent medical checkups at Sheba Medical Center, where they were airlifted by helicopter from Gaza, and were released in stable condition, according to the niece. 

“I am so thankful to our security forces who took part in this rescue mission,” she added. “We owe them our lives and we hope to thank them face to face someday.” 

Ms. Sigal-Koren said that she and her family did not know that the rescue mission was being planned. They initially thought that the only way the men would be returned home would be through a deal. “The army had information that we didn’t have, of course. In general, we were worried that a rescue mission would be very risky. We initially preferred that they would be returned through a deal.” 

Ms. Sigal-Koren’s mother, Clara Marman, 64, her aunt, Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and cousin, Mia Leimberg, 17, with her dog, Bella, were returned on November 28 in the hostage-prisoner swap during the previous cease-fire. 

Gabriela and Mia Leimberg of Jerusalem, along with Clara’s brother, Fernando of Kfar Saba, were visiting with Clara who lived at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and her partner, Luis Har, for the Simchat Torah holiday weekend.  On October 7, about 100 Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz and kidnapped the five members of the Har-Marman-Leimberg family from their safe room, as well as another kibbutz resident, Lior Rudaeff, 61, who is still being held captive in Gaza.
Ms. Sigal-Koren said that because Luis and Fernando both hold Argentinian citizenship, the family was also in touch with the previous and recently elected leaders of Argentina to get them to apply pressure to have the hostages freed. “We felt that Argentina did everything they could to support us,” she said. 

She said that the support from the people of Israel also gave her and her family strength during this difficult period: “All the volunteering and the huge hearts of our people lifted us.” 

Ms. Sigal-Koren had words of hope for the rest of the families of hostages, who she said have all grown close during the past four months. “This rescue mission definitely strengthens the feeling that there can be a good ending. My mom, aunt and cousin returned as physically healthy as possible given the terrible conditions they were held under. And now my uncle and my mother’s partner. Our nightmare is behind us. Hopefully our story can give others hope.” 

Yet Ms. Sigal-Koren noted that while she and her family were grateful for their happy ending, they were very worried for the rest of the estimated 100 remaining hostages: “Everyone deserves this happiness. We feel the pain of those families of hostages who haven’t reunited with their loved ones yet.”

Correction: There are an estimated 100 Israelis still held by Hamas. An earlier version misstated the number.