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"I am ready to talk to Hamas people on Al Jazeera to prove that Hisham is not a soldier," Hisham's father said.
By YUVAL BARNEA FEBRUARY 23, 2025 20:54 Updated: FEBRUARY 23, 2025 20:55
Shaaban al-Sayed (left) and Ilan Mengistu (right) speaking at Ichilov hospital following the release of Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu were released on Saturday.
(photo credit: Hostages Families Forum)
Shaaban al-Sayed took aim at the Arab world's failure to protect his mentally ill son, Hisham, in a joint press conference with the family of Avira Mengistu on Sunday, the day after the two were released from Hamas captivity.
Shaaban began by thanking Ichilov Hospital for welcoming him and starting the rehabilitation journey for his son.
"We hope that the rehabilitation will not be prolonged," he said. He thanked the negotiating team and the prime minister, "who was always effective and trying to bring everyone back."
"President Trump gave us new life, and we want to thank him and his administration. We will not forget the hostages who put up a 'fight' for us that is difficult to explain."
"Hisham returned to us yesterday. It turns out that Hamas is not a liberation movement - we saw that they span and politicized [him], taking advantage of a mentally ill person. According to Islam, this is a person who isn't held accountable for sins."
"Now we are in a very difficult situation. From the beginning of the [2014] kidnapping, when there were four of them, I was sure that they would protect the hostages out of an interest in protecting them, but since October 7, when I saw them murder Bedouin and Arab people who were returned as bodies, [and] the Arab world never responded."
"I demand that representatives of the Arab public respond to what happened on October 7, and also what happened to Hisham - a mentally ill person was kidnapped."
"Why did they make him an enemy? How could they say he was a soldier? How does something like this happen? I demand answers from Arab politicians," Shaaban said.
"I am ready to talk to Hamas people on Al Jazeera to prove that Hisham is not a soldier. It is unfathomable for Hamas to lie like that. The whole story from beginning to end is not true."
"We had concerns about receiving Hisham [in a wheelchair], and when we saw him on his feet getting into the car, we were happy," Shaaban said.
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"But when I hugged him, I saw that I was hugging a lump of... he is not a human being. He looks like a human being, but he is not. He cannot speak. He has no voice or memory of anything. He gives the impression that he has not been with humans. We are angry and want an answer. I call for speeding up and bringing everyone home," he said.
Ilan Mengistu
Ilan, brother of Avera, said, "This day is evidence of divine providence. You have returned to us, and we are infinitely happy, but we are also aware that the road is still long - rehabilitation requires time, patience, and support."
"We promise that we will do everything to help you recover and return to life," he said.
"We ask the public to continue praying for the speedy recovery of Avera and the other hostages."
He then addressed the families of hostages, saying, "Our hearts are with you. Only we can understand the feelings of loss, helplessness, and longing. We are here by your side, embracing you and saying: 'Keep your hope. You do not have the option of giving up.'"
"Behind the smile, there are irreversible scars," Ilan emphasized.
"Pressure must be applied to the decision-makers to return all the hostages to their homeland now."
He thanked Netanyahu, IDF soldiers, the bereaved families, the families of the hostages, President Trump, and everyone who assisted in the effort to return Avera to his family.
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