Most captives released during a six-day-old truce have been rushed to hospitals in Israel. Israeli women and children on their return from captivity in Gaza have spoken of being beaten and threatened, moved from place to place, and forced to whisper during weeks spent with little to do, their families say.
The captives were seized during a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which Israel claims that 1,200 people were killed. Since the latest round of releases began on Friday, the freed captives have been kept away from the media. Their stories have come out through the filter of family members, without independent verification, offering a hint of their ordeal.
Deborah Cohen, speaking to France’s BFM TV, revealed that her 12-year-old nephew Eitan Yahalomi and others were beaten by Palestinian residents upon arrival in Gaza. She explained that the captors made the children watch footage of the Hamas violence, threatening them with weapons whenever they cried. Hamas, however, claims to have treated the captives in accordance with Islamic teachings to preserve their lives and wellbeing.
It has been reported that some captives were killed by Israeli air raids during a military offensive launched in response to the October 7 attacks. Palestinian officials in Gaza claim that more than 15,000 people, including over 6,000 children, have been killed in the Israeli air and ground assault.
Medical professionals treating the released captives have slowly started revealing details about their condition. Ronit Zaidenstein, head of the medical team at Shamir Medical Center, stated that the captives had been fed “very unnutritious food” during their captivity, resulting in a significant weight loss of 10% or more. Margarita Mashavi, a doctor at Wolfson Medical Centre, recounted that the captives had been kept underground and were only given light for two hours a day.
The families of two girls who were held together found it difficult to communicate with their children upon their return due to the girls speaking only in whispers. One father, Thomas Hand, shared his nine-year-old daughter’s experience, saying, “In captivity, she was told not to make any noise. You can see the terror in her eyes.” Another parent, Yair Rotem, mentioned that his niece and her friend, both held captive, were also speaking in whispers.
Relatives of the captives have described the emotional toll the ordeal took on their loved ones. Merav Mor Raviv shared the experiences of her cousin’s family, who were held captive and were spoken to in Hebrew by their captors. At times, the captors would motion with a finger across their throats, threatening them with death if they did not comply. The captives were constantly moved, both underground and above ground, and faced scarcity of food, mainly surviving on rice and bread.
Despite the hardships, some captives showed resilience. Adva Adar praised her 85-year-old grandmother, who constantly thought about reuniting with her family, finding strength in their voices. Another mother, Daniel Aloni, expressed gratitude to Hamas’s armed Qassam Brigades for treating her daughter kindly during their captivity, writing, “I will forever be thankful that she doesn’t leave here with trauma. If only in this world we could truly be good friends.”
As the stories of the captives continue to emerge, it is crucial to verify the details independently and provide support to those who have endured such traumatic experiences. The impact of the Hamas attack and the subsequent captivity on the survivors and their families highlights the ongoing tensions and conflicts in the region.
