Shlomi Ziv, 41 years old, is one of the four hostages who were rescued on Saturday in a complex joint operation initiated by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Police.
Ziv has been with his wife, Meran, for 17 years. The two have no children, though according to Meran, both want to be parents.
He studied interior design and was about to begin a new job when he decided to take on some extra work helping his wife’s cousin, Aviv Eliyahu, at the Nova music festival. Eliyahu was killed while working as security director at the event.
Ziv was initially listed as missing in the first days after the October 7 massacre.
“No one saw anything... heard anything,” Meran told Yediot Aharonot soon after. “We talked to security guards... [to] whoever we could. I was at home and went out to look from the balcony. Maybe he had come home and was sitting and waiting for me?
"The nights were without sleep, without food. One night, I sat waiting for him outside, where he liked to sit, until morning. I even imagined him walking into the house.”
To read about the other hostages, see here:
Four hostages rescued exactly 35 weeks after October 7
The IDF released the following statement on Saturday:
"It has been cleared for publication that in a complex operation by the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Israel Police (Yamam), four Israeli hostages were rescued this morning (Saturday). The hostages, Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40), were kidnapped by Hamas to the Gaza Strip from the 'Nova' party on October 7th.
The hostages were rescued by Shin Bet and Yamam fighters from two different locations in an operation in the heart of Nuseirat.
Their medical condition is stable, and they have been transferred for further medical examinations at Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer.
Security forces will continue to make every effort to bring back the hostages."