More than three months after he was released from Hamas captivity and returned to his home in Mitzpe Hila, Gilad Shalit attended a Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball game at the Nokia Hall on Thursday evening.

Shalit, who is a fan of the team, was invited to be the guest of honor at one their games soon after he came home, but waited until now to accept the invitation.

The reason for Shalit waiting to attend a game was because of doctors’ recommendations that he not be exposed to large crowds so soon after his release after more than five years in captivity and isolation.

Since his return from captivity, Shalit has gradually been exposed to more people and has met friends. Channel 10 News reported that in light of the progress of his rehabilitation, his family accepted the invitation from Maccabi Tel Aviv.

As part of the invitation, Shalit was invited to come and meet the players in the dressing room. However, Channel 10 reported, until the beginning of the game it was not clear whether he had indeed arrived because no one had seen him. It soon became clear that Shalit had indeed arrived and that he was sitting in the stands with his friends.

The report said that Shalit preferred to sit on the sidelines and not join the players on the field at the beginning of the game.

On October 18, Shalit was freed by Hamas in exchanged for 1,026 terrorist prisoners.