Freed Israeli hostages are recounting horrific experiences of brutal beatings, starvation, and prolonged confinement in underground tunnels during their captivity by Hamas. Soldier Matan Angrest described being beaten to unconsciousness and enduring tunnel collapses that buried him in dust. Other hostages were kept in complete isolation for extended periods, unaware of the fate of their loved ones.
Several former captives reported severe starvation, with Hamas guards sometimes eating in front of them while they went hungry. The treatment reportedly worsened after Israeli ground operations resumed, with some hostages kept chained and never given shoes. One hostage, Alon Ohel, was moved to tunnels to be used as a human shield during Israeli military operations.
Hostages were held underground for months at a time, deprived of daylight and basic sanitation. Many appeared gaunt and malnourished in videos released by Hamas. Omri Miran, held for 738 days, moved between 23 locations, sometimes cooking for his captors, while mentally counting each day. Another freed hostage, Evyatar David, endured prolonged starvation, with his captors increasing his food slightly only before his release.
The 20 surviving hostages were freed as part of a US- and Egypt-brokered cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement, which also involved th... download the app to read more
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