Hostages who were held by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas for nearly 50 days began to reveal their vivid experiences at the time. One hostage escaped from where he was held and was recaptured.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 27th (local time), the stories of hostages kidnapped by Hamas are slowly being revealed piecemeal as dozens of hostages were released through a hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.
As most of the hostages are still being treated in hospitals closed to the media, we are able to get a limited glimpse into the ordeal they went through based on interviews with the hostages’ relatives.
Even after more than 50 days in captivity, 85-year-old hostage Jaffa Adar never lost hope that he would be able to return to Israel. “I am so proud to be his granddaughter,” said Yafa’s granddaughter, Adva.
Another hostage, Keren Munder, 54, returned with a weight loss of 13 to 17 pounds. “They would eat, but not regularly,” explains Merab Mor Ravib, Keren’s cousin.
The hostages slept on three rows of chairs, similar to those in a train station waiting room, and when using the bathroom, they had to knock on the door or make noise to attract the attention of Hamas fighters. It has been reported that people sometimes had to wait for hours to go to the bathroom.
Additionally, since they have been in complete darkness for over 7 weeks, they need to adapt to sunlight. It is still a mystery where the hostages were detained, but it is highly likely that they were trapped in an underground tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
Eyal Nouri, the nephew of freed Israeli hostage Adina Moshe, 72, told CNN: “Many of the hostages were held in different places, so their experiences may have been different,” adding, “My aunt only had two hours of sunlight a day.” He explained.
According to the testimony of hostage families, the hostages were cut off from the outside world and did not even know the fate of their parents and children.
“The worst part was not only that they were literally in the dark, but also in terms of knowledge, they were in the dark,” Nouri said. “They had no idea what was going on on the ground.”
Israeli siblings Noam Orr (16) and Alma Orr (13), who were released in the second hostage exchange on the 25th, received the shocking news that their mother was murdered and their father was missing only after their release.
The Engelbert family, whose entire family was kidnapped, had only three out of four family members released. The father is believed to still be held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The bombing continued even where the hostages were. Nuri said, “My aunt heard the sound of continuous bombings until the day before she was released. There was silence after the bombings, and it felt like something was going to happen, but no one knew exactly what would happen.”
Nuri also said that her aunt had not been able to shower for seven weeks. “They only ate rice and some beans left in cans,” he said. “They avoided eating food as much as possible to avoid having to go to the bathroom. “There were no facilities such as shower rooms at all,” he said.
Some hostages were brave enough to try to escape from Hamas. “He was able to run away after the building collapsed and hid alone for several days,” Elena Magid, the aunt of Russian-Israeli Roni Krivoi, 25, told Khan Public Radio. “Eventually, people in the Gaza Strip found him and identified him as a terrorist.” “He was taken away by the people,” he claimed.
“He tried to go to the border. “I think he wandered because he didn’t know where he was or where to run to,” he said, adding, “He was alone for four days.”
Meanwhile, Hamas has so far released 69 hostages, mainly women and children, as part of a hostage exchange with Israel. Of these, a total of 50 are Israelis.
Hamas and Israel agreed to cease fighting for two days, and Hamas plans to release 20 more hostages.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.