Avera Mengistu
Avera Mengistu | |
|---|---|
אָבֵרָה מֵנְגִּיסְטוּ | |
Mengistu with IDF soldiers, after his release from captivity, February 2025 | |
| Born | 1986 (age 38–39) |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Known for | Hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip |
Avraham "Avera" Mengistu (Hebrew: אָבֵרָה מֵנְגִּיסְטוּ; born 1986) is an Ethiopian-born Israeli man who was held hostage by Hamas for over ten years. Having crossed into Gaza on September 7, 2014, he was kidnapped and interrogated by Hamas and then held for ransom; his family stated that he is mentally unstable and had been admitted to a mental hospital in the past. He had been treated with medication, which he stopped taking a few weeks prior to his crossing. He was released on February 22, 2025, during the Gaza war ceasefire.