‘Rehabilitation is a different battle’: Ex-hostage Evyatar David says he’s dealing with PTSD

Former hostage Evyatar David, who spent over two years in Hamas captivity in Gaza, reveals that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder that brings him back to the tunnels and the daily battle for survival he faced. He is asking the public to donate to a crowdfunding campaign (Hebrew link) his friends and family have launched for him.

David, who has barely spoken publicly since his October 2025 release, is set to recount parts of his ordeal tonight on Channel 12’s “Uvda” program, alongside his good friend and fellow hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. David is remembered for being starved by his captors and forced to dig his own grave as part of a propaganda video published by the Palestinian terror group.

“After more than two years in captivity, I was sure that after what I’ve been through, nothing would be beyond me,” David writes on social media.

“I went to dance at the Nova [festival], and in one moment my life was turned upside down. I was kidnapped and put in a dark tunnel, and all I thought about was surviving another day, and another day, until I return home,” he says.

“In the moments when I almost broke down, what kept me afloat were thoughts of my parents, family, friends, and the hope that nobody would give up on me,” David recounts.

“When I returned, I received more love than is imaginable. People whom I didn’t know told me they had prayed that I come back,” he continues. “After everything I saw there, the Nation of Israel reminded me that there is good in the world as well.”

“But slowly, I understood that even when you return home, not everything returns with you. I am dealing with PTSD and flashbacks. There are moments when I am in a safe place, surrounded by people I love, but my head still goes back there. I understood that surviving captivity is one thing, but complete rehabilitation is a different battle,” the 25-year-old writes.

“I am not writing this to be pitied. I am writing because I want to win this battle as well. My dream is to be rehabilitated, to marry, to start a family and truly return to normal life. But the rehabilitation journey is long, and friends and family have started a crowdfunding campaign for me, so I can focus on healing,” he says, asking the public to donate and share the campaign.

“Again, thanks for fighting for me.”