Freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami: I and 5 other captives were held in just 6 square meters

Ohad Ben Ami, who was released nine days ago from Hamas captivity, tells President Isaac Herzog about the dire conditions in which he was held captive by Hamas, and pleads for Israelis to take to the streets to support the hostages.

“There were six of us there who lived in terrible conditions in six square meters (65 square feet),” he says.

“My entire concern and desire is simply that all my friends return,” he adds. “I appeal to the government and people of Israel: Keep going, go out, fight. No one can sit at home in front of the TV and hope that someone will do the job for them. We all need to come out.”

“The moment we knew that [the protesters] were fighting for us, and that they wanted us to return, it gave us all the strength and strengthened us,” he says. “We can’t rest, we can’t be quiet even for a minute. We won’t be quiet and we won’t rest.”

Ben Ami also addresses Israeli soldiers: ‘When we were there underground, 30 meters (100 feet) underground, we always knew that you were up there, looking for us and doing everything for us to find us.”

Ben Ami was released earlier this month, appearing emaciated after 16 months of mistreatment in captivity.