Eighteen of the 20 hostages who were released last week visited the Azrieli Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan after closing time on Sunday for a three-hour shopping spree, Israeli media outlets reported Monday. The event was closed to the public.
At 10 p.m. on Sunday, stores under Fox management were reportedly told to stay open, including Fox, Fox Home, and American Eagle. H&M, Story, Opticana, and Foot Locker also remained open.
To ensure privacy, the employees’ cellphones were confiscated. Then the hostages were allowed into the mall.
“All workers and anyone present were required to maintain confidentiality,” an individual present during the visit told N12 news site. “The entire visit was kept under wraps to respect their privacy.”
'They nead their peace, to get back to normal things'
The hostages were given vouchers to all Fox Group stores, and food was provided by Landwer Cafe to ensure the hostages and their families had enough energy for their trip and were well fed, N12 reported.
The trip’s purpose was reportedly two-fold: to allow hostages to obtain what they needed, such as physical clothing; and give them the experience of going shopping with their families.
“They came from captivity thin and frail,” one of the individuals involved told N12. “They don’t have clothes, shoes, or even properly fitting underwear. They need their peace now to get back to normal things... returning to life.”
Last Monday, the 20 living hostages returned from the Gaza Strip.
This was not the first time the mall was opened late for the hostages.
In February, five former hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity – IDF soldiers Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Agam Berger – visited the mall after hours for their first shopping trip since their release.