Hostages tell of torture, starvation and isolation

(TIMES OF ISRAEL) Released hostages have begun sharing details from their time in Hamas captivity with family members, describing how they were isolated from the outside world, endured long periods of starvation and were severely tortured while in Gaza.

The last 20 living hostages released as part of a ceasefire deal were soldiers or civilians who were considered soldiers by the Palestinian terror groups holding them, and therefore likely experienced much harsher conditions than some of the captives released in previous rounds.

The first seven living hostages – Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Guy Gilboa-Dallal and twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman – were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City, in the Strip’s north, and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later.

The next 13 hostages – Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein and brothers David and Ariel Cunio – were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, in the Strip’s south, and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later.

All 20 returned pale and frail, but smiling and standing on their legs, with most of them held in horrific conditions in tunnels deep under Gaza, where many faced abuse, starvation and received limited medical treatment.

In one of the most severe cases of isolation, Channel 12 news reported that Avinatan Or was held alone for more than two years and did not encounter any other captives until he was freed on Monday.

According to the report, Or was held in the central Gaza Strip for most of the war under severe conditions, including prolonged starvation. An initial medical examination found that he had lost 30-40 per cent of his body weight.

Upon his release, Or reportedly asked to spend time alone with his girlfriend, former hostage Noa Argamani, as the two shared what they described as their “first cigarette together after two years”.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, most of the hostages were taken to tunnels after the June 2024 rescue operation and had limited exposure to media.

Channel 12 also reported that Elkana Bohbot spent most of his time chained in a tunnel. Bohbot remembered his wedding day and insisted on being able to shower in honour of the anniversary. His terrorist captor initially refused Bohbot’s requests, but eventually relented, removed his chains and showered him.

Kidnapped brothers Gali and Ziv Berman were held separately and completely cut off from the outside world during their captivity and were unaware that they would be reunited upon their release.

A relative of an unnamed hostage told the Israel Hayom daily that the terrorists placed guns to the heads of captives and threatened them if they were not satisfied with their conduct while being filmed for a propaganda video, or if they refused to cooperate at all.

Anat Angrest told Channel 12 that her son Matan experienced especially “very severe torture” during his initial months in captivity, since he was a soldier.

“He was alone for a long period, under special guard,” she said. While kept in tunnels, Matan was shown very little news from his captors, “and for the rest of the time, suffered severe psychological warfare – that [Israelis] gave up on them, that [Hamas] was going to conquer the country, that they are planning the next October 7,” Angrest said.

“He recalled the heavy IDF bombardments, planes flying above their heads … walls falling next to them, many times finding himself amid dust under the rubble, trying to get above ground and survive. Very complicated situations.

“In the past four months, most of the time he was in a small dark tunnel. Now suddenly [in the final days before his release] he’s being offered lots to eat.”

Angrest also explained that her son did not remember most of the details of his abduction, but remembered the battle before, and that his friends were killed.

“He has flashbacks of a fire; he remembered his hands were burned, he remembers he lost consciousness,” she said, adding that her son also remembers being abused during his abduction.

She also said that his captors lied to him, claiming his maternal grandparents – who are Holocaust survivors – were dead, and that learning they are still alive after returning from Gaza has “motivated” him.

Ilan Gilboa-Dalal told the Kan public broadcaster that his son Guy was held with Evyatar David in a tunnel until a month ago.

“Then they took him for a ride in a vehicle around Gaza, and did not bring him back to the tunnel with Evyatar, but put him in a tunnel in Gaza City with Alon Ohel until their release,” he said.

Over the past month, Guy was “force-fed,” Gilboa-Dalal said, adding that he believed that the captors were motivated to feed him after a video of an emaciated David being forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel sparked international outcry.