Nine-year-old Hamas hostage Ohad Munder enjoys first meal of schnitzel and mash before Israeli football team visits him in hospital and friends join to eat ice cream together

Nine-year-old hostage Ohad Munder enjoyed his first meal of schnitzel and mash before an Israeli football team came to visit him in hospital.

Little Ohad was filmed walking into his father’s arms as he was released after being held as a hostage for 49 days.

The brave nine-year-old – a ‘smart boy who loves football, tennis and solving the Rubik’s cube’ – was reunited with his father who hugged him tightly at a children’s hospital, marking the end of his horrific ordeal.

He later eagerly ate his first meal of schnitzel and mashed potatoes after his release.

In the evening, he was joined by a group of his friends to celebrate, where they were treated to an ice cream in honor of his ninth birthday, which he spent as a hostage.

The little Liverpool fan was then surprised when an Israeli football team also visited him, wrapped him in a red football scarf and hugged the little boy.

Keren Munder, her son Ohad and her grandmother were among those released after they were kidnapped from their relatives’ home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Ms. Munder told her cousin that the hostages ate mostly rice and pita and slept on rows of plastic chairs, like those in waiting rooms.

She also said that they knocked on the door when they needed to go to the toilet, but that sometimes they had to wait an hour and a half before they could go.

Merav Raviv, Keren’s cousin, said her aunt Ruthie and Keren’s son Ohad were also taken, but their elderly uncle Avraham was taken separately.

The kidnapped family had believed their frail uncle had been murdered until Ms Raviv told them he was being held hostage, but Keren’s brother Roi had been murdered, she said.

Mr Munder is not in good health, walks with a cane and has poor eyesight.

He was left in the house by Hamas when his wife, daughter and grandson were kidnapped.

Tragically, Ohad’s uncle Roee, 50, was murdered by Hamas. He was buried during an emotional service outside Tel Aviv.

Friends of Roee tried to display a banner at Anfield during the Liverpool-Everton derby, but officials ordered them to remove the banner – despite several Palestinian flags flying during the match.

Furious family friend Rotem Zmora told MailOnline how he arranged a special tribute but was banned by stewards. He said, ‘I can’t believe it wasn’t allowed.’

Rotem told MailOnline at the time: ‘The funeral was very emotional, and many of the mourners had Liverpool shirts and scarves on, but some said they would not go to a match again because of what had happened.

‘Roee had been to many games at Anfield and it was his dream to take his cousin Ohad there, but that will never happen now.’

This was before Ohad and his other hostage family members were released.

Rotem said at the time: “His family is in pieces, no one knows where the little boy is, a little boy who is celebrating his ninth birthday in the hands of terrorists and who we hope is at least still with his mother and grandparents.

“When the kibbutz was attacked, all we know is that Roee was in place and the others were in their house and entered their safe room.

‘I heard from Roee a few times during the day and I heard shooting and sirens in the background and that was the last time I had contact.

“I can only assume he left his home to make sure his family was safe. He was found dead in the grounds of the kibbutz, but I don’t want to think about how he died – I just want to remember him as the kind of man who was a big Liverpool fan.

“We haven’t heard anything about the rest of the family and all we can do is hope and pray that they all return safely.”

As Ohad ‘bravely and resiliently’ spent his ninth birthday in captivity, a fundraising campaign has been set up to give him a birthday party he will always remember – with £4,896 currently donated.

Described as a ‘bright boy who loves football, tennis and solving the Rubik’s cube’, the fundraiser aims to help him celebrate his birthday, but also help him and his family recover from their traumatic ordeal.

The release of hostages came as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was finally reunited with her father on Saturday after 50 days as a Hamas hostage.

The girl, who was initially feared to have been killed by Hamas gunmen during their invasion of Israel, was filmed walking into her father’s arms.

Emily was snatched in her pajamas on October 7, taking about 240 prisoners back to Gaza. She celebrated her ninth birthday while in captivity.

Noam, 17, and Alma Or, 13, the siblings who were cruelly taken hostage after the group of terrorists killed their mother, Yonat, were also sent back.

Unfortunately, their father, who was also captured by Hamas on October 7, was not released with them.

Adina Moshe, 72, told her family she believed she was being led to her death before she and 12 other hostages were released on Friday after the warring sides signed a four-day Qatari-negotiated ceasefire.

Her niece Mayan Moshe, 43, told The Times: ‘She knew something was going on when the explosions all stopped on Friday and there was suddenly silence.’