On Tuesday, a group of nine Israeli citizens were released after being held captive, against their will, by Hamas for several days. The release was made possible by a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Gaza. Upon their return, the hostages shared some of their experience of their harrowing captivity.
In what can only be described as a “hellish nightmare,” the hostages recounted periods of intense hunger and physical abuse. One of the returnees said she was kept in a small cell and only given bread and water. Another reported that his captors had beaten him with the butts of their guns.
Other hostages described the psychological torture they suffered. They said they were placed in total darkness and told false stories of supposed atrocities occurring throughout Israel. They were even shown a video of their own relatives supposedly being killed by Israeli forces.
The hostages also reported having to endure lice infestations within the confinement of their cells. This was made worse by the fact that their captors refused to allow them to bathe or wash their clothes.
In addition to psychological and physical abuse, several of the hostages reported that their captors kept them isolated from the outside world. This included being deprived of communication with their families or information about the fate of their fellow hostages who were arrested along with them.
The captives spoke of their immense relief to have been finally released. All of the hostages are now in good health and reunited safely with their families.
The ordeal experienced by these Israeli hostages was a stark reminder of the cruelty of Hamas and a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Despite the terrible conditions and abuse, these individuals never lost hope of being released and are now free to tell their story.