Eyal Zamir Presents New Beret to Freed Hostage Matan Angrest

In a deeply emotional gesture of recognition and remembrance, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir presented Matan Angrest, a recently freed hostage and active IDF soldier, with a new black beret symbolizing both honor and homecoming.

Angrest, a soldier in the IDF Armored Corps, was violently abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during the terror group’s brutal invasion of southern Israel. He was dragged from his tank while defending Nachal Oz, taken across the border into Gaza alongside the bodies of his fallen crew. For 738 days, Angrest endured torture and abuse, targeted for being a soldier.

“You were at the forefront of my mind the entire way,” Zamir told Angrest during their meeting on Wednesday. “Your safety was a central consideration. We will not rest until we return all the fallen hostages to Israel.”

The symbolic return of Angrest’s beret a mark of his service and courage brought full circle a chapter of unthinkable sacrifice. But the day was also marked by sorrow. Following the ceremony, Angrest joined Lt.-Gen. Zamir at the funeral of his commander and close friend, Captain Daniel Peretz, whose remains were recovered and returned to Israel on Monday night as part of the final hostage deal.

That moment underscored both the triumph and tragedy of this week’s ceasefire a deal brokered with U.S. involvement that freed all living Israeli hostages, including Angrest, but also confirmed the deaths of many others.

The IDF has long said it would not rest until every Israeli living or deceased was brought home. Angrest’s release is a testament to that mission and a reminder of what Israeli soldiers endure to protect the nation. His story like that of so many others is one of loyalty, pain, and unshakable strength.

As Angrest stood alongside his chief of staff, wearing a freshly awarded beret and mourning his brothers in arms, Israel stood with him proud, grieving, and ever committed to bringing every one of its sons and daughters home.

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