Released Israeli Hostages Detail Abuse, Deprivation During Captivity in gaza
Newly released Israeli hostages are recounting harrowing experiences of torture, torment, and exceptional danger during their captivity at teh hands of Hamas, including reports of force-feeding and intentional isolation. The accounts, emerging in the wake of the hostage release deal brokered last week, offer a disturbing glimpse into the conditions endured by those abducted during the October 7th attacks. These testimonies are fueling calls for accountability and intensifying scrutiny of Hamas’s treatment of hostages,as negotiations continue for the release of those still held in Gaza.
The experiences vary, but a common thread is the psychological and physical hardship inflicted upon the hostages. Ilan Gilboa-Dalal reported that her son, guy Gilboa-Dalal, 28, was initially held with fellow hostage Evyatar David in a tunnel. A month ago,he was moved to a different tunnel in gaza City with hostage Alon ohel,after being transported around Gaza by vehicle. gilboa-Dalal claims her son was “force-fed” in recent weeks, a practise she attributes to international outrage over video footage showing David severely emaciated and forced to dig his own grave.
Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, were held separately and denied any contact with the outside world throughout their ordeal. While held in the same general area, they were unaware they would be reunited upon their release. Relatives were told the brothers experienced periods of both food scarcity and relative abundance during their captivity.
Reports indicate some captors spoke to the brothers in Hebrew,and they could reportedly hear the Israel Defense Forces operating nearby. The Berman brothers, who work as lighting technicians, signaled their well-being with a thumbs-up as they were driven away after their release.
