What Conditions Did the Released Male Hostages from Gaza Endure?

Seven Israeli male hostages recently freed from captivity by the extremist group Hamas in Gaza have recounted their horrific conditions and the physical and mental state of other surviving hostages held in Hamas tunnels. Their accounts have heightened public concern in Israel and among the families of other hostages, fearing that the situation could deteriorate at any moment, putting the lives of these hostages at risk. The narratives of the seven released hostages, shared with family members and doctors and reported in Israeli media, indicate that dozens of predominantly young male hostages who are still alive are in extremely dire physical conditions. These individuals have been kept in a manner previously unfamiliar to the Israeli public, deep within the complex network of Hamas tunnels. Families of the hostages claim that the military had informed the government long ago about the dire situation of the hostages. However, eight ministers out of 32 in Netanyahu's government opposed a deal with the extremist group Hamas that would lead to the military's withdrawal from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the hostages. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Forcing the hostages to 'thank' Hamas before handing them over to the Red Cross, while their deplorable physical and mental conditions were evident, provoked outrage from Israel and the United States. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, likened the released Israeli hostages to Holocaust survivors, expressing uncertainty about how much longer he could endure the situation. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, remarked that it is now clear why Hamas first released those who appeared to be in better physical condition. Reports from Israeli media, along with statements from politicians and parliamentary sessions, indicate that the hostages have been continuously kept in damp pits for the past 16 months, with some even shot in the eye and deprived of medical care. Hamas forces, including key members of the group, regularly interrogated and tortured the Israeli male hostages to extract information regarding potential intelligence they might have about the military. Some of the remaining male hostages are soldiers, but a larger number are civilians whom Hamas has classified as military due to their age being suitable for reserve duty. One of the released hostages, Or Levi, who was severely tortured for providing information about the Israeli army, stated that he had been chained in pits underground 'like animals' without shoes for the past 16 months. Or Levi's expression upon release indicated that he had not seen daylight for a long time and was still terrified. The hostages reported that Hamas torturers would hang them by their feet, beat them, and then return them to the pits in the depths of the tunnels, leaving them without food and water for several days until they returned, perhaps throwing them 'a moldy piece of bread.' Although the male hostages, who were in a pit together, were forced to share this 'moldy bread,' they sometimes saved even small pieces of it, knowing that there would be no food for several days. However, some hostages remain isolated. Hamas itself released a short film showing the last night before the release of Ohad Ben-Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levi from a small underground room deep in the tunnels. Ohad Ben-Ami stated that that night he was moved from one pit in the heart of the earth to another pit where Eli and Or were kept, seeing them for the first time there. The joy of the release of three hostages turned into sorrow and concern. On Saturday, February 20, millions of Israelis sat in front of their televisions from the early hours of the day to witness the release of three male hostages whose names Hamas had published just hours before. The excited voices of reporters and television presenters describing the release scene weakened upon seeing Ohad Ben-Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levi as they exited the Hamas vehicle. They compared the released individuals to Holocaust survivors, while the families of the hostages, watching these moments on television, cried in disbelief upon seeing their loved ones. Eli Sharabi and Or Levi were unable to walk and were so weak that despite their life stories and the abduction and killing of their families being told multiple times in the media, television presenters struggled to recognize them. Or Levi had been barefoot in the pit the entire time. He and the other men had not had even a small amount of water to wash themselves for several months. Generally, there was no water for drinking either; only occasionally did they receive a few drops. They had only one outfit for almost the entire 16 months of captivity, and shortly before their release, they were given clothing that was deliberately similar to the attire of security prisoners in Israeli jails, while Or Levi was dressed in military clothing, despite being a technology expert years after serving in the army. Or Levi at the moment of freedom. Or's three-year-old son, whose mother was also killed, told his father during their first meeting that he knew his mother would not return. However, Or was unaware of his wife's death until hours after his release. The released hostages reported seeing four young male hostages still alive in the tunnels, but in dire conditions. Until now, the Israeli army had found no signs of the potential survival of these abducted citizens. The released hostages also reported the survival of Alon Ohel, a pianist who is now 24 years old, but stated that he had been shot in one eye and had not received treatment, with his leg still chained. The family of Eli Cohen also learned from the released men that he is alive. Eli's mother told Kan TV that her son is chained and completely unaware of the outside world and must be freed from this hell. The released hostages also brought joy to the Berman family, informing them that the twins, Gali and Ziv, are alive and were seen in the tunnels. The family of these two men, now 27 years old, stated that from the information they received, they understood that the threat to their children's lives from the kidnappers is very serious. 'The only grandfather hostage in the world who has a great-grandchild' was killed. Shlomo Mansour, before being taken hostage, the council of the Kibbutz Kissofim in southern Israel announced on February 23 that based on information received from the army, Shlomo Mansour, an 86-year-old hostage, had been killed by Hamas, and the group holds his body. Mr. Mansour's young grandchildren and great-grandchildren had been working for his release over the past 16 months and had made multiple trips to meet with country leaders. They described Shlomo Mansour as 'the only grandfather who has a great-grandchild but is a hostage of an extremist group.' With the confirmation of Shlomo Mansour's death, all male hostages over 80 years old held by Hamas have been killed, but Hamas has still refused to hand over the bodies of most of them as a bargaining chip. On February 1, Hamas also released five Thai men who had been taken hostage while working in Israel. The Thai men returned to their country this week after spending several days in a hospital in central Israel. They told Thai media that they spent all 16 months away from light in dark rooms without the ability to move. The Thai hostages spoke no language other than their own and were in complete ignorance. Signs of malnutrition and the unbearable conditions they endured were evident on their faces. Israel granted them citizenship due to the suffering inflicted on these foreign men. There is still one other Thai man who is likely alive, as well as the bodies of several killed Thais and one possibly alive Nepalese man, along with the body of one of two elite Tanzanian students who had gone to Israel for agricultural training. The body of one killed Tanzanian student had previously been found by the Israeli army. Of the 251 hostages abducted in the Hamas attack, 138, including 16 who were released in the last month, have returned alive to their families. Israel has also found 40 bodies of killed hostages in Gaza. Of the 76 other hostages still in Gaza, it is likely that 35 are no longer alive. If the threat from Hamas to stop the release of hostages is lifted, there are still nine living hostages and the bodies of eight killed hostages to be handed over to Israel as part of the first phase of the release of hostages.