five americans, including emad shargi, were released and flown to qatar. base in virginia where their families were waiting. >> we're home! >> i hadn't seen my daughters for 5 1/2, 6 years. i had missed all their graduations, birthdays, anniversaries with my wife. it's like being born again. we had thought we were going to be freed so many times, and this was it. >> reporter: since his release, emad is making up for lost time with his family. he's also had time to reflect. >> you think to yourself, what was this all about? why did they do this to me and to my family? >> for five years. >> and the short answer is hostage-taking as statecraft. >> if you are an american? >> yes. >> an iranian american. >> no. iranian america, italian american, american, do not go to iran. >> reporter: less than three weeks after shargi's release, hamas, which is financially backed by iran, attacked israel. as israel counterattacked in gaza, some u.s. lawmakers have called for blocking iran's access to the $6 billion. the white house insists no money has been released so far,