Israeli with family in Houston among final hostages freed from Gaza after 2 years

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- When ABC13 first sat down with southwest Houston psychologist Dr. Alan Kellerman in November 2023, he predicted his cousin, Eitan Mor, would be one of the last of the hostages freed from Gaza.

He was right.

"Somebody like Eitan, if he's still alive, and hopefully he is, will be one of the last people being released because he's a male and he has served in the IDF," Kellerman said in November 2023.

Mor was among the last 20 living hostages released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal on Monday.

Mor was just 23 years old when he was abducted from the Nova music festival. His family said he was working at the event as a security guard.

On Monday, Kellerman, who traveled to Israel to reunite with Mor, texted ABC13 a photo of his cousin embraced by relatives. The text read, "After two years."

The news brought Kellerman's neighbors in the tight-knit, predominantly Jewish community of Fondren West to tears.

"Honestly, beyond overwhelmed. I keep trying to talk about it, and I just can't get the words out," Kellerman's neighbor, Gerson Meisel, said.

He added, "As deep as a person that (Kellerman) is, how much he's been hurting, and to know that he can take a deep breath today is very-- it just brings it home."

For the past 24 months, Meisel, his wife Tzippy, and their five children have prayed for Mor and the other hostages.

"It's hard to go through a single prayer without thinking about people who are literally underground," Meisel explained.

Tzippy Meisel said the family will continue to pray for "peace and healing."

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