American-Israeli hostage only found out he was a new dad after 498 days in Hamas captivity
American-Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen spent the vast majority of his almost 500 days in captivity unaware that his wife had given birth to their third child.
American-Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen spent “the vast majority” of his almost 500 days in captivity not knowing that his family had survived Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack or that his wife had given birth to their third child while he was held in Gaza, his father told NBC News.
The 36-year old was released from Hamas captivity Saturday along with two other hostages in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. He is the second U.S. citizen after Keith Siegel, 65, to be freed in phase one of the ceasefire and hostage release deal.
His father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, said in an interview Monday that his son, who was wounded in his right shoulder and his left leg when he was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 2023 Hamas-led attack, “was given minimal medical treatment once he got to Gaza.”
“There was no follow-up treatment, and so there’s considerable damage,” he said. “He was in the tunnels for the vast majority of the time. Even in the short period that he was aboveground, there was no sunlight whatsoever,” he added.
Sagui Dekel-Chen is reunited with his wife as his father watches after being released by Hamas.via IDFOn the morning of the attack, Dekel-Chen put his wife, Avital Dekel-Chen, 34, and their two daughters, Bar, 7, and Gali, 3, into the safe room of their home. He then went out to confront the militants storming their kibbutz and was taken captive.
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