Gadi Mozes tells family he paced 7km every day in his 2x2 meter cell

Freed hostage Gadi Mozes has told family members that he was held alone for his entire time in captivity, Chanel 12 reports. He and hostage Arbel Yehoud, who were freed together on Thursday, met each other only a few days before release.

Mozes knew his longtime partner Efrat Katz had been murdered during the attack, and mourned her. But he did not know what had happened to his daughter Moran until he was freed (Moran survived and met him yesterday upon his return).

For 70 days of his time in captivity, he was locked alone in a dark room. He was moved between apartments and was not held in tunnels. In one location, he was able to watch some TV.

For much of the time, Mozes was held in a two meter by two meter (6.5 feet by 6.5 feet) room. He paced in it, and assessed that he walked some 7 kilometers (~4 miles) every day, counting tiles and solving math problems to pass the time and keep his mind sharp.

Once every five days or so was given a bowl of tepid water to shower with, using a cup to pour the water over his head. He insisted on shaving himself, despite it being a messy and painful affair in those conditions, in order to feel tidy.

At some points he feared he would be executed. In one instance, he was held in a hot pickup truck for 12 hours under Red Cross offices in Gaza. Though he thought he was being released, he was only being moved.

Mozes lost some 15 kilograms (33 pounds) in captivity, the network says.

His glasses were broken during the kidnapping, but after two months he got new ones from his captors and was able to read two books.

At a certain point, Mozes said, he decided to live one day at a time and not think of release.

Mozes described the chaotic handover to the Red Cross on Thursday as moments of “mortal fear,” and said he worried that he and Arbel Yehoud would be lynched by the mob around them.

Amazingly, Channel 12 says Mozes told his captors that when the war ends and there is peace, he will come to Gaza and teach them to farm.