Almog Meir Jan, 21, was one of the four hostages released this weekend.
Orit Meir, the mother of released Israeli hostage Almog Meir Jan, 21, was overcome with disbelief and extreme joy when she received the phone call that her son had been rescued on Saturday.
“I screamed,” Meir told ABC News on Monday. “I was so happy…it was so exciting.”
She added: “I never gave up hope. I kept saying it would come back to me.”
Jan was one of four hostages rescued by the Israeli army in central Gaza on Saturday. January; Noa Argamani, 25 years old; Andrei Kozlov, 27 years old; Shlomi Ziv (40 years old) were all kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival in Israel on October 7.
Meir said Sunday was her first proper night of sleep since her son was taken hostage.
“I slept all night with a smile,” she said, her voice full of emotion.
“This is what I want to happen to all the families of the hostages,” she said. “I got my miracle. I want theirs.”
Meir said she urged the Israeli government and the international community to “pressure” Hamas to reach an agreement to return the other hostages to their homeland as soon as possible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday described the rescue operation as “remarkable,” adding that the Israeli army would not rest until all remaining hostages were located.
He said about Hamas fighters, “Our soldiers are carrying out their work with courage and morality to end this war with victory over these killers and against these kidnappers, and we will win.”
Israeli army officials said that the four hostages were in “good medical condition” when they were rescued.
Jan’s uncle said the 21-year-old was “generally fine” and that they were “expecting a lot worse”.
Jan’s mother revealed that he was able to watch Al Jazeera while in captivity, and even saw pictures of himself at a rally in Israel.
The Israeli army said that the two hostages were liberated from two separate locations in Nuseirat in central Gaza. This camp has become home to thousands of refugees who have fled fighting throughout Gaza.
Officials at the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that hundreds of Palestinians were killed or wounded during the Israeli army operation in Nuseirat on Saturday.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday called on countries with relations with Hamas to push them to put a ceasefire agreement on the table.
“My message to governments across the region, to people across the region: If you want a ceasefire, put pressure on Hamas to say yes,” Blinken said. “If you want to alleviate the terrible suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want to bring all the hostages home, pressure Hamas to say yes. If you want to put current Palestinians and Israelis alike on the path to more sustainable peace and security, “If you want to prevent this conflict from spreading, put pressure on Hamas to say yes.”
ABC News’ Dana Saphir, Omar Manor, Hugo Lenhardt, Victoria Ball and Molly Nagel contributed to this report.
. “Proud zombie lover. Evil pop culture buff. Amateur thinker. Total food practitioner. Tv evangelist.”