It is a time of mixed emotions in Israel. Hamas has still not returned the bodies of the 28 dead hostages. At the same time, there is happiness over the release of the remaining 20 hostages who were held hostage in Gaza for two years. Yet the firsthand accounts of his time in captivity are harrowing.
Since the ceasefire came into effect and the hostages were released, TV and radio stations across Israel have been continuously broadcasting interviews with relatives of the hostages, who have described the extreme conditions in which the 20 young men have been held since their capture on October 7, 2023. The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered a devastating war in Gaza.
Some people have described being kept underground in tunnels for long periods of time, with no access to sunlight or fresh air. Others spoke of beatings and torture and sometimes not getting enough food. Some were able to play cards with their captors despite the dangerous conditions in which they were held. Their accounts cannot be independently verified.
Caught twin brothers reunited after two years
According to Israeli media reports, twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, who were taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border, were held separately in different locations and only reunited on Monday, the day they were released.
According to reports, they were completely cut off from the outside world, while others were aware of the protests taking place in Israel calling for their release.
A hostage was ‘beaten so badly that he lost consciousness’
One of the protesters was Anat Angrest, the mother of captured soldier Matan Angrest, who had campaigned relentlessly for her son’s release. She says her son faced particularly harrowing conditions in captivity, perhaps because he was an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier.
“Matan’s entire right hand is severely burned. He has deformities in his fingers and other injuries, including loss of eyesight,” he told Israeli TV Channel 12. He said he was subjected to very severe torture, at least in the first few months.
Matan Angrest, now 22, was captured on October 7 posing as an IDF soldier from a tank unit deployed to the Gaza border.
“During the kidnapping, she remembers facing abuse,” her mother said. “He remembers that he was beaten so badly that he became unconscious. He remembers that he was covered in black bags, dragged, abused and interrogated. He had to endure a lot.”
Her son also told her that she was mostly kept in tunnels, and that Israeli attacks nearly collapsed the walls of the tunnels.
Hostages were moved around Gaza dozens of times
Omri Miran, 48, a father of two young girls, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His father, Dani Miran, told Israeli media that his son was able to play cards with his captors.
Dani Miran said, “He played a lot of cards with them all morning, right up to their prayers. And he looked forward to starting a new day with the cards, which kept him going.”
Omri’s brother said that Omri was taken to more than 20 different locations in Gaza under extremely dangerous conditions and heavy bombardment by the Israeli Air Force. According to local health officials in Gaza, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, the majority of whom were civilians. This number is considered reliable by international organizations. It is believed that thousands of people are buried under the debris.
Two years in the tunnels under Gaza
Another tragic account comes from Avinaton Orr’s father, who said his son was kept in the tunnels for most of two years.
“For two whole years he was in the tunnel. After trying to escape, he was beaten and his captivity conditions worsened and he was put in a cage inside the tunnel. It’s a miracle that he remained healthy,” Yaron Or told Israel’s national radio KAN.
His father said, “He was locked in a kind of cage the length and breadth of a mattress and 1.80 meters high. Avinatan is about two meters tall. He was kept handcuffed in bars for more than a year.”
Footage of the kidnapping of Avinaton Orr was captured and published by Hamas after 7 October. Orr and his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, were at the Nova Music Festival when the Hamas-led attack occurred. He was chased away by Hamas militants, while Orr was forced to flee at gunpoint.
Argamani was liberated in June 2024 in a special Israeli operation that included massive airstrikes in the area, killing dozens of Palestinians.
The hostages’ living conditions depended on political negotiations.
Some hostages have said their conditions have changed in recent weeks, apparently in connection with ceasefire talks. Previously released hostages have said that, depending on political developments, their conditions got better or worse.
All twenty are now in hospitals in and around Tel Aviv and face a long road to recovery.
Edited by: Carla Bleiker