Freed hostages tell families of torture, starvation and long periods of isolation

Hostages who were freed Monday began 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 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.

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 between 30% and 40% 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.”

On October 7, 2023, Hamas released a video of the pair’s kidnapping from the Nova music festival, which has become one of the most well-known videos from that day.

Channel 12 added that Or knew very little about developments in Israel and only learned of the IDF rescue operation that in June 2024 freed Argamani, Andrey Kozlov, Almog Meir and Shlomi Ziv during his reunion with Argamani earlier Monday.

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 freed hostage Elkana Bohbot spent most of his time chained in a tunnel, where he lost all sense of time and space.

However, the report said Bohbot remembered his wedding day and insisted on being able to shower in honor of the anniversary. His terrorist captor initially refused Bohbot’s requests, but eventually relented, removed his chains and showered him, the report said.

Additionally, Bohbot saw news of his family members appealing for his release and attending rallies at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Channel 12 reported.

Kidnapped brothers Gali and Ziv Berman were held separately and completely cut off from the outside world during their captivity, according to the network. While they were held in the same area, they were unaware that they would be reunited upon their release on Monday.

They said there were periods in which there was a lack of food, and other times when they received more, Channel 12 reported. Some of their captors reportedly spoke to them in Hebrew.

The report said the brothers heard the IDF operate near them while in captivity.

“Severe psychological warfare”

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.

There were moments of “coexistence” with the captors, the family member said. For example, when terrorists needed an extra player in a game of cards, they would bring the hostages to join them.

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

Since returning, he shared some small details of his captivity, she said.

“He was alone for a long period, under special guard,” she said, adding that Matan told her he refused to break for the “monsters” who held him captive.

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,” she said.

“In the last 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 said.

She 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.

She said that despite everything, he is in a “reasonable state, at least, mentally.”

Ilan Gilboa-Dalal, whose son Guy was released Monday, told the Kan public broadcaster that he 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, Gilboa-Dalal 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.

Additionally, Guy’s captors lied to him on Friday, Saturday and Sunday that he would be released, until he was finally freed on Monday.

Omri Miran, who was also released on Monday, was held in 23 different places in Gaza, both above ground and in tunnels, his brother Nadav told the Ynet news site.

“Sometimes he would cook food for his captors, and they loved his cooking,” Nadav said. “He knew exactly what the date was and roughly what day it was. He knew exactly how many days he was in captivity. They spent most of their days playing cards with their captors.”

According to Kan, freed hostage Matan Zangauker was held together with some hostages until the release of US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander in May. From then on, he was kept alone and reportedly met senior Hamas figures while held captive.