Hostages Return Home after ’43 Million Seconds of Hell’ in Gaza

February 17, 2025

by: Yael Ciechanover ~ Ynetnews

Monday, 17 February 2025 | Sagui Dekel-Chen, an American Israeli, never saw daylight the entire time he was held hostage and did not know if his wife and daughters survived the Hamas massacre of October 7, when he was abducted from their home to Gaza.

“After 498 days in Hamas captivity, Sagui is here—just upstairs, standing on his feet with a big smile and joy in his heart,” his wife Avital said. “The first time he found out we were alive was a day before he was freed.”

Avital, who gave birth to their third daughter while her husband was held captive, spoke to reporters at the Sheba Medical Center where her husband was taken for medical evaluation and treatment.

She said her husband told her not to refer to his time in the hands of Hamas as nearly 500 days but to understand that he was held captive for 43 million seconds of hell.

Looking back, she described the terror of the attack and its aftermath. “On October 7, I stood in the safe room with my two daughters while heavily pregnant. For hours, I waited for Sagui to come back, open the door and take us out. A day later, I found myself boarding a bus alone—without Sagui—with two little girls, heading into the hardest journey of my life.”

“How did he survive? Through love,” she said. “We discovered that, without knowing, we were each doing things exactly as the other had hoped. When I saw Sagui yesterday, I finally felt like I could step out of that safe room and start healing. We are finally together as a whole family—three daughters, a mother and a father.”

After more than a year apart, Sagui finally met his daughters again. “As Gali and Bar ran toward their father, and as Shachar saw him in real life for the first time—not just in pictures—I couldn’t help but think of the children still waiting for their fathers to come home.”

She turned to the plight of the other families: “There are children in Israel who wake up every morning and ask, ‘When is Daddy coming back?’ We must do everything to ensure that no child ever has to ask that again.”

Avital then addressed the families of those still in Gaza. “To all who are listening—don’t lose hope. We will bring everyone home. There is no other option. Sagui told me yesterday, ‘Milly, people say 498 days, but really, it felt more like 43 million seconds of hell.’ They don’t count days or hours—they count seconds.”

“A shattered community still waiting”

Sagui’s father, Jonathan, spoke next, describing the impact of the kidnapping not just on his family, but on their entire kibbutz [collective community].

“I stand here as a father whose son has come home—a son who is a father to three daughters and a husband to a courageous woman who spoke before me,” he said. “He is part of the Nir Oz community, which is shattered and still waiting for 20 more hostages to come home.”

He thanked those who supported the hostage deal that led to his son’s release and urged continued efforts to bring the rest of the captives back. “It took courage to reach this deal. We can all agree it isn’t perfect, but it brought Sagui and two more friends from Nir Oz home—and it must continue. Only then will true healing begin.”

He concluded with words of solidarity: “My deepest condolences to the families of the fallen. We stand with you, knowing that we are here because of your sacrifice. I wish a swift recovery to all the wounded soldiers. And I’ve seen firsthand the power of prayer. Sagui survived because of love—the love and energy from across the nation.”

Posted on February 17, 2025

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on February 17, 2025. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF Spokesperson/GPO

Photo License: GPO