“We won’t rest until they’re all back”: Helicopter pilot’s vow after hostage mission

The last two weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for Israelis as two separate exchanges were carried out as per the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Seven hostages have now been released from Hamas captivity in Gaza. One of the helicopter pilot's who took part in these flights returning the hostages is Captain S from the 118th Squadron, who expressed his feelings about his mission.

"I felt a feeling of pain, responsibility and hope," he explained. "Pain for the suffering they went through, responsibility to carry out the mission for them in the smoothest and best way possible, to help be part of their path back to the country and life. I hope to see this entire amazing system take care of every detail and each of them, as each is an entire world...hopefully we will be able to bring them all. We're all here, and we'll be here together until we win and until everyone comes back. Everyone in the helicopter saw the first meeting of the families with the return, it is very difficult to grasp and the tears just flow on their own."

Captain S. continued: "When we landed in the hospital, two very significant insights came to me – the first was how many people were waiting for them, a large number of people we saw from the helicopter, an entire country waiting for this moment. The second is personal closure: in my first evacuation of the wounded in the war, I evacuated the wounded to Beilinson. Today I landed in Beilinson for a similar but very different purpose, and I was privileged to take part in the return of the hostages we have been waiting for so long – and we will stay on duty until the last hostage returns."