Freed hostage was kept ‘chained in a dark, airless tunnel for over 15 months, could not walk or stand’

A hostage freed in the current deal was kept chained in an airless tunnel by their captors, unable to stand or walk, for almost the entire period in captivity, and had to learn to walk again when the chains were removed shortly before being released.

The family of this hostage has asked not to be identified, Channel 12 reports. The report refers to the hostage using male and female terminology, and it is therefore not clear if the freed hostage is male or female. It indicates that this hostage was not one of three men freed yesterday.

It describes the testimony as among the gravest to be given by any of the freed hostages to date.

Channel 12 quotes the hostage saying that for more than 15 months, “the terrorists kept me in chains inside a tunnel. The tunnel was dark and airless… I could not walk or stand.

“Only close to my release did the terrorists remove the chains, and I learned to walk again.”