Sagui Dekel-Chen was released Saturday from Hamas captivity , after 498 days of torture. "You're my hero," his wife Avital told him during their first embrace. Sagui said, "You are heroes, look how you watched over me." Avital asked about their discussions of what to name their third daughter, who she had been pregnant with when Sagui was kidnapped: "Do you remember what you named her?" "Mazal," he responded. "So that's her name," Avital said. Sagui, amazed, asked, "Mazal?" to which Avital responded, "Her name is Shachar Mazal." "That's perfect, what a name," he answered. Earlier, a relative of Sagui's said, "We are very very emotional, we waited so long. This is an enormous relief, to see him standing on his feet. He looks good and most importantly - he is here. We are happy, our hearts are beating fast we want to embrace him already." Avital responded, "He's so handsome!" and the family, emotional, opened a bottle of champagne." Related articles: Or Levy recounts the moment he met his son Netanyahu speaks with family of hostage Elkana Bochbot Report: Hamas claims it will accept Egyptian ceasefire proposal 'I may have been duped by Hamas' In an interview with Keshet before their reunion, Avital said, "There is nothing more romantic than to tell me on Valentine's Day that my love is coming home. I am beginning a new period, with Sagui in Israel, after 21 years together. I would like to ask his forgiveness that it took so long." "There are other hostages whose young children are waiting to see them home," she added. Sagui's sisters arrived to meet him at Sheba Medical Center upon his return. "Our Sagui is home," the family said after his release. "He is a friend, son, partner, and most importantly - father - and he is coming home. For nearly 500 days he was so far, and now, finally, he is on Israeli soil, with us. During the coming hours, he will begin the healing process, he will meet his daughters Gali and Bari, and for the first time meet his youngest daughter, Shachar, who was born when he was in captivity. The heart hurts to think about what he missed, but now he is here, unlike many others." The family also thanked all those who fought with them to bring Sagui home, stressing: "There are many other families waiting for their loved ones, and many children who are waiting for their fathers. We will continue to work until the last of the hostages has returned home - that is our obligation."
