“I love tennis but for the whole eight months I didn’t touch it, I didn’t let myself enjoy life, to do the thing I love,” she said, describing how she rushed to the airport.

Mr Kozlov had moved on his own to Rishon LeZion, a coastal town south of Tel Aviv, a year and a half ago. He had been working as a security guard at the Nova festival when he was abducted.

Because of the distance between them, the first conversation between mother and son was on a video call.

“He was shouting, ‘mummy, I survived twice, and I am home, I am home!’ We couldn’t really speak. We were both shouting and crying and smiling and it was full of happiness, and I couldn’t stop laughing. I was really excited and wanted to come and hug him physically,” said Ms Kozlov.

She was initially apprehensive about how his ordeal may have changed him but “then I saw my son and despite this horrific experience, I could feel that this is my boy,” she said.

“The first sentence he said to me is that he always knew he would be back. That is the reason he never said goodbye on Oct 7, he never sent a message with some sad news.”

He had remained strong by writing a diary, trying to keep his mind busy and exercising in the confined space.

“He said it actually brought him energy to fight and to have this hope to know that he will be back home,” said Ms Kozlov.

Other media reports say the three hostages taught each other Hebrew and Russian and forged a strong bond that helped them endure the tough conditions.

But Dr Itai Pessach, a member of the team at Sheba Medical Centre who treated the hostages, told the Wall Street Journal their initial healthy appearance was in part due to the adrenaline and jubilation they experienced during their escape.