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Ayalon Mall had previously hosted smaller private visits for freed hostages, including earlier this year, when five young women released from Hamas captivity were invited for their first shopping trip after returning home.
By Shula Rosen
Eighteen recently released hostages were brought to Ayalon Mall late at night, shortly after their release, for a quiet, tightly managed shopping visit arranged away from the public eye.
The special outing, coordinated with several store owners and kept confidential in advance, allowed the group and their families to spend several hours choosing clothing and basic necessities after returning from captivity.
The mall’s regular activity ended earlier in the evening, and by around 10 p.m., selected stores were instructed to keep their doors open past closing time.
Shops from the Fox Group, along with H&M, Story, Foot Locker, and Opticana, were prepared to operate exclusively for the visitors. Staff members working the shift were asked to hand over their mobile phones before the event began, a step taken to ensure no photos or recordings were made.
An individual present during the visit told N12 that participants were required “to maintain confidentiality,” adding that the entire operation was organized so the former hostages could move freely without unwanted attention.
The Landwer Café chain supplied food and drinks throughout the evening to help the families stay comfortable during the visit.
People involved in organizing the event described the outing as both practical and emotional. Many of the former captives arrived with almost no personal belongings, and several stores were stocked with vouchers so the group could acquire clothing, footwear, and other essentials.
One organizer said the visitors had returned “thin and frail” and needed basic items such as shoes and properly fitting undergarments. “They need peace now to return to routine things… to feel like they are getting their lives back,” the person said.
The quiet visit lasted roughly three hours. According to accounts from those present, the atmosphere remained calm throughout, with families using the opportunity to walk together, choose items, and spend unhurried time away from the public.
Ayalon Mall had previously hosted smaller private visits for freed hostages, including earlier this year when five young women released from Hamas captivity were invited for their first shopping trip after returning home.
The latest event was the largest such operation to date, marking another attempt to help the group ease back into daily life following their release.
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