‘Voice from the tunnels’: London exhibit aims to recreate reality of Hamas hostages
Staged in a derelict building based on descriptions by freed hostages, new installation joins efforts to secure release of captives still held by terror groups in Gaza
A new exhibition came to London this week aiming to bring to life the experience of hostages who have spent more than 100 days in captivity after their kidnapping by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Staged in a derelict building in east London and based on descriptions by some of the freed hostages, the “Voice from the Tunnels” installation seeks to recreate conditions endured by the captives, highlighting their plight as part of efforts to speed the release of the more than 130 still being held.
“This was created as the first attempt to describe what the tunnels look like, what the conditions in captivity look like,” said Orit Eyal-Fibeesh, co-founder of the 7/10 Human Chain Project behind the exhibition. “We have interviewed hostages who returned from Gaza and this was created based on their stories.”
In the dank, claustrophobic basement of the building, the exhibition features videos detailing news reports and footage of the October 7 attacks, and depicts how the captives are held, along with some of their testimony.
The hostages were taken during Hamas’s October 7 massacres, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing over 240 hostages of all ages, mostly civilians. Entire families were executed in their homes, and over 360 people were slaughtered at an outdoor festival, many during horrific acts of brutality by the terrorists.
Ayelet Svatitzky, 46, whose 79-year-old mother was held by Hamas for 49 days, and whose brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, remains in captivity, emerged from the exhibition in tears.
“I managed to watch for about three minutes before I had to walk out crying. It was very emotional and very intense for me realizing this was what my family members have gone through, are going through still,” said Svatitzky, whose elder brother Roi was killed in the Hamas attacks.
A Hamas tunnel in the heart of London.
Join me for a tour of the powerful 'Voices from the Tunnels’ exhibition. A small glimpse of the horrors that the hostages have to endure while being held underground in Gaza. #BringThemHomeNow pic.twitter.com/nrlHR4aAaC— Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) January 15, 2024
It is believed that 132 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November. Four hostages were released prior to that, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have also been recovered and three hostages were mistakenly killed by the military. The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the deaths of 25 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015, respectively, along with the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014.
Eylon Keshet, a cousin of Yarden Bibas who is still being held along with his wife, Shiri, and children Ariel, 4, and baby Kfir whose first birthday falls on Thursday, said he had traveled from Israel to attend a rally and view the exhibition.
“The reason I’m here… is to ask any human being with a conscience and a family to stop these atrocities and this evil and understand that these are real children that are rotting in captivity and that their survival chances are dwindling by the minute,” Keshet, 30, said.
Eyal-Fibeesh said the temporary exhibition would welcome visits from politicians, journalists, antisemitism campaigners, and figures from schools and universities. However, it will not be open to the general public, partly because of a limit on visitor numbers, as well as security concerns.
Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission in London, was dismissive of the exhibition, saying it was Israeli propaganda.
“They have lied about everything down the road. I do not take any of Israeli propaganda seriously, nor should you,” he told Reuters.
While it has had assistance from Israeli authorities, Eyal-Fibeesh said the project was non-political and had no agenda other than the goal of bringing the remaining hostages home.
The Times of Israel Community.